Maine Court Records Search

Maine Court System

Maine’s Judicial Branch website is organized well for the end user and offers tons of great information for self-represented individuals, the public, and attorneys practicing within the state. The state's court system begins with the state of Maine Supreme Judicial Court, then the Maine Superior Court, District and Probate courts. The state does not have a court of appeals like other state's do, the Supreme Judicial Court handles appeals.

Supreme Judicial Court

District Court

Superior Court

Probate Court

ME Court Records That are not Open to the Public

According to the Freedom of Information Act, Maine court records are open to the public, but they do not offer online access. However, individuals can visit the courthouse where the case took place for copies of open records. Things like expunged, sealed and confidential cases will not be available. Additionally, juvenile records, juror details, court employee information and other private details will not be included. The United States federal courts also prohibit certain information from being included in publicly available public records. Information like minor’s names, home addresses, and identifiers like social security numbers, bank accounts, and tax IDs must first be redacted from the files before they are made public.

ME Judicial Case Filing Information

Although the state government does not allow public access of their records, they do have a pretty comprehensive eCourts (maine.gov) system where patrons can pay traffic tickets, fines, and fees, contest a traffic ticket and also file other court documents online. Their online system uses the Odyssey Portal for that service. The Maine Judicial Branch website also has an extensive area on their website with PDF fillable forms that work with Adobe. The forms are well organized within categories for court types and can also be downloaded to file in person at the courthouse. They have forms available for each of their courts. You can also visit the court clerk's office for forms.

Search for Court Records Online

Gain access to hundreds of court cases in Maine, including Cumberland County, York County, Portland, Cumberland, Augusta,  Bangor, Kennebec, Lewiston, and Penobscot County, using Infotracer’s search tool. Searching for ME public records has never been easier! According to the Freedom of Information Act in conjunction with Maine’s Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) the general public has the right to examine small claims, criminal records, civil cases and dockets, bankruptcies, family court issues, probate and more! Infotracer’s massive database allows you to do just that.

You can perform records search privately without permission or even a good reason. Most court filings will be available except for some like juvenile records which are kept confidential by law.

Try Infotracer today to get free instant access to Maine public records from all types of courts in the state. Performing a ME state court records search by name is the fastest way to lookup court cases online from the state district courts, superior court, and probate courts.

Maine Court Statistics

In 2012, the Maine courts received 234,921 filings. In 2016, the number of filings decreased by 23.0% and counted 180,943 filings.

Family Court Cases

Domestic relations caseload of Maine at year end of 2016 has decreased by 39.0% compared to the last 5 years, in 2012 the number of incoming cases have been 21,583.

Maine Criminal Caseloads

The number of criminal cases in Maine courts counts to 46,830, with 6,606 felony cases and 40,224 misdemeanors accordingly.

Superior Courts

The state of Maine’s Superior Court has 17 justices throughout its 16 counties. These are the general jurisdiction trial courts for the state and the only court that uses jury trials. They may hear almost all civil and criminal types of cases except for family matters, civil violations, and juvenile cases. All Class A, B, C, D, and E criminal cases including murder are heard in these courts. This court also resolves post-conviction reviews, lawsuits, and appeals from state and local administrative agencies like the municipal zoning boards and the Department of Human Services. Aroostook County has two of these courts, and all other counties have one.

District Courts

The District Courts in Maine are the limited jurisdiction courts for the state. These courts have 38 judges that hold sessions in eight regions across the state, and they never use juries. These courts focus on civil, criminal, and family matters. The District Court system was created in 1961. Some examples of cases heard in District Court are divorces, custody issues, property damage, and civil lawsuits. Districts have a family division that handles all family-related matters. These courts handle all traffic violations and juvenile delinquency matters. They can also hear Class D and E criminal infractions and civil violations.

Probate Courts

The Probate Courts in Maine were created by the Constitution in 1820. They have exclusive and limited jurisdiction over estates, trusts, name changes, adoptions, guardianships, conservatorships, and protective orders. This court also handles matters of mental health and involuntary commitment. The Probate Courts do not use a jury. Instead, a judge hears all issues and makes a decision based on the evidence. The Pine Tree State has 16 Probate Courts and judges, one for each county. The judges are elected, and they work only part-time. Verdicts from Probate Court may be appealed directly to the Supreme Court.