- 5/8/2024: Judicial Branch Is Adding Protection from Abuse and Harassment Cases in Courts that have Implemented eFiling
- 4/1/2024: Maine eCourts and eFiling Expands to Rumford, Farmington, and South Paris Courts
- 3/21/2024: Franklin and Oxford County Courts Prepare for April 1st Launch of Maine eCourts and eFiling
- 2/8/2024: Judicial Branch Announces Expansion of Maine eCourts to Rumford, Farmington, and South Paris Courts
Issues with Tyler Technology Security Plague Maine Courts
Maine Courts Shut Off Online Records Access Over Security Concern
The Maine Judicial Branch (MJB) disabled online access to nearly all court documents on Sept. 15, 2023, after learning about security vulnerabilities with Odyssey system. According to the MJB, Tyler had announced that there were certain vulnerabilities with the 2018 version of Odyssey. UNKNOWN: The date the MJB first learned of those vulnerabilities has not been disclosed and is therefore unknown at the present time.BDN reported the shutdown on 12/14/2023
Maine Courts Expand E-Filing: 2023
- 10/23/2023: Judicial Branch Announces Expansion of eFiling in Lewiston and Auburn Courts
- 9/1/2023: Judicial Branch Update on Maine eCourts Implementation
- 6/5/2023: Judicial Branch Announces Expansion of Maine eCourts to Lewiston and Auburn CourtsComments due by February 17, 2023.
- 1/17/2023: Law Court invites amicus briefs regarding foreclosure when debtor is deceased, time for probate has passed, and property is owned by surviving joint tenant, who is not liable on the note
Motion to Redact Court Record Information Highlights Problems with the Release of Personal Details Included in Court Files.
Attorney for federal prosecutor charged with Operating Under the Influence, asked a Cumberland County Superior Court Justice to hide the information because of his client’s position with the Department of Justice, stating he doesn’t think this type of information should be publicly available for any criminal defendant because of the possibility of identity theft. Attorney Nichols further stated that “anyone can go down and look at a court file. There are people who may wish ill will on a certain person. … That’s the easiest way to find out a person’s residence.” Eventually, Nichols withdrew the motion because of calls to Conley’s office about the case, which implied that there was a scandal when it wasn’t, he said. Nonetheless, the Superior Court Justice orally granted Conley’s motion to redact the information.
The Portland Press Herald 12/7/2022 recount of the story appears here:
https://www.pressherald.com/2022/12/06/federal-prosecutor-pleads-guilty-to-oui-charge/
Maine Courts Continues with E-Transmission: 2022
6/28/2022: Maine Judicial Branch ShareFile Program Expanding Statewide
Beginning July 5, 2022, all state district and superior courts will electronically accept court filings in criminal, juvenile, and civil violation cases. using the ShareFile platform. (Filings will also continue to be accepted by in person and by mail.)
The court system will continue to evaluate ShareFile for possible future expansion to additional case types and users.
See Administrative Order JB-21-06 as amended in July 2022 available here:
https://www.courts.maine.gov/adminorders/jb-21-06-a.7-22.pdf