A July 30th order provides that (except for certain proceedings listed in the order, or unless otherwise ordered by a court) all proceedings in Maine’s trial courts shall be conducted remotely, by video or telephone. Cases will continue to be scheduled subject to available court resources, including technology. A party may file a motion to request an in-person proceeding if there are special circumstances. Factors to be considered by the court include the health and safety of court staff, parties, and witnesses; the ability of parties to participate remotely; and Judicial Branch resources, including courtroom space, technology assistance, and clerical assistance. The order also outlines the process for conducting remote proceedings.
Pursuant to PMO-SJC-7:
Courtrooms in use for non-confidential proceedings shall remain open to the public during hours of operation. Any member of the public or media wishing to attend a non-confidential court proceeding may do so in person and subject to the required conditions set forth in the Plan.
Administrative Order JB-05-15 shall apply to media coverage of remote court proceedings during the pandemic. Members of the media may request direct access to cover a public but remote court proceeding being conducted solely by video or telephone and access a recording of or live audio stream of a court proceeding by submitting the Media Notification-Requested Coverage form.
Courts’ COVID-19 Response page:
Members of the public who wish to observe or listen to remote court proceedings should contact the clerk of the court where the hearing is being held. A listing of court locations and contact information is appended to PMO-SJC-7 found at the link below:
https://www.courts.maine.gov/covid19/pmo-sjc-7.pdf
For More Information see the court system’s press release at
https://www.courts.maine.gov/covid19/PR-Revised-PMP-and-Order.pdf