Maine Superior Court

{{Short description|Trial court of general jurisdiction in Maine}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

The Maine Superior Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction in the Maine state court system.{{Cite web |title=Superior Court; civil jurisdiction (Maine Revised Statutes Title 4, §105) |url=https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/statutes/4/title4sec105.html |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=legislature.maine.gov}}

All state jury trials are held in the Superior Court. The court is located in each of Maine's 16 counties (with two locations in Aroostook County), in eight judicial regions.{{Cite web |title=Superior Court: State of Maine Judicial Branch |url=https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/superior/index.html |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=www.courts.maine.gov}} The Court consists of 18 justices who all have statewide jurisdiction and travel to the different courthouses to hold court, with a number of active retired judges as well.{{Cite web |title=Constitution of court (Maine Revised Statutes Title 4, §101) |url=https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/statutes/4/title4sec101.html |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=legislature.maine.gov}}{{Cite web |title=Justice or Active Retired Justice of Superior Court assigned to sit in District Court (Maine Revised Statutes Title 4 §121) |url=https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/statutes/4/title4sec121.html#:~:text=A%20Justice%20or%20an%20Active%20Retired%20Justice%20of,District%20Court%20is%20authorized%20to%20hear%20and%20issue. |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=legislature.maine.gov}} Justices are nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Maine Senate and are appointed to seven-year terms.[http://janus.state.me.us/legis/const/Constitution2005-07.htm#P213_51255 Me. Const. art. V, § 8]; [http://janus.state.me.us/legis/const/Constitution2005-10.htm#P291_66340 Me. Const. art. VI, § 4]{{Cite web |title=About: State of Maine Judicial Branch |url=https://www.courts.maine.gov/about/index.html |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=www.courts.maine.gov}}

Maine's Supreme Judicial Court created a statewide Business and Consumer Docket (BCD),{{Cite web |title=Business and Consumer Court: State of Maine Judicial Branch |url=https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/bcd/index.html |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=www.courts.maine.gov}}{{Cite web |title=Maine Rule of Civil Procedure 130 |url=https://www.courts.maine.gov/rules/text/MRCivPPlus/mr_civ_p_130_plus_2020-11-30.pdf}} which includes within its jurisdiction complex case types that might be found on other states' business and commercial court dockets; but also includes, for example, class actions and complex consumer rights cases arising out of business or government dealings. Cases eligible for this specialized docket are cases that could otherwise have been heard in the Superior Court or Maine's District Court.{{Cite web |title=District Court; civil jurisdiction (Maine Revised Statutes Title 4, §152) |url=https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/statutes/4/title4sec152.html |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=legislature.maine.gov}}{{Cite web |title=District Court: State of Maine Judicial Branch |url=https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/district/index.html |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=www.courts.maine.gov}} The BCD has a distinct set of procedural rules.{{Cite web |title=Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, Chapter XIV, Business and Consumer Docket Procedural Rules (130-138) |url=https://www.courts.maine.gov/rules/rules-civil.html}} The BCD has two assigned judges from either the Superior or District Courts, who are designated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court.{{Cite web |date=November 17, 2008 |title=State of Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Administrative Order JB-07-1 (A. 11-08), Establishment of the Business and Consumer Docket |url=https://www.courts.maine.gov/adminorders/jb-07-01.pdf}}{{Cite web |title=Maine Rule of Civil Procedure 130 |url=https://www.courts.maine.gov/rules/text/MRCivPPlus/mr_civ_p_130_plus_2020-11-30.pdf}} As of June 2024, the current BCD judges are Superior Court judge Thomas McKeon and District Court judge Michael A. Duddy.{{Cite web |title=Business and Consumer Court: State of Maine Judicial Branch |url=https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/bcd/index.html |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=www.courts.maine.gov}} Then Superior Court Chief Justice Thomas E. Humphrey was one of the first BCD judges,{{Cite web |last=Humphrey |first=Justice Thomas |date=January 30, 2018 |title=Fiber Materials, Inc. v. Maurice Subilia, et. al., Business and Consumer Court, Docket No. BCD-WB-07-317 |url=http://www.cleaves.org/pdf/BCD-WB-CV-07-33(2).pdf}} along with District Court Chief Justice John C. Nivison.{{Cite web |date=2013-09-23 |title=Colby grad, Winslow resident Nivison promoted to federal bench |url=https://www.centralmaine.com/2013/09/23/colby-grad-winslow-resident-nivison-promoted-to-federal-bench/ |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel}}{{Cite web |title=Key Equipment Finance, Inc. v. Benjamin Hawkins, et al., Business and Consumer Docket, Docket No. BCD-WB-CIV-07-017 |url=http://www.cleaves.org/pdf/BCD-WB-CV-07-17.pdf}}{{Cite web |last=Chief Justice Superior Court Thomas E. Humphrey & Chief Justice District Court John C. Nivison |date=June 1, 2007 |title=State of Maine Business and Consumer Docket, Standing Order Regarding Transfers of Venue |url=https://www.courts.maine.gov/adminorders/so-jb-07-01.pdf}}