The United States District Court for the District of Maine
Response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
In keeping with General Order 2023-01 entered on April 18, 2023, the District's remaining COVID-19 protocols terminated on May 10, 2023. Because the COVID-19 virus has not gone away and remains a threat to public health, the Court will continue to monitor conditions in Maine and may, from timeto- time, adopt protocols as needed. Any protocols will most likely address proceedings involving the assembly of large numbers of people for extended periods, such as jury empanelment and extended jury trials. Active protocols will be posted on the District's website and I encourage practitioners and parties to routinely check this page.
The District of Maine will continue to utilize video-teleconferencing to the full extent permitted by court rules and the policies of the Judicial Conference of the United States. In criminal cases, Judges may conduct video hearings in keeping with Rules 5 and 10 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure with the defendant's consent, and as otherwise permitted. Requests for video hearings should be made in advance by written motion if time permits. In civil cases, Judges continue to retain the discretion to schedule video hearings. That practice is currently being reviewed by the Judicial Conference of the United States which, I expect, will formally address the same within the next few months.
Our efforts during the pandemic enabled the District of Maine to avoid any widespread outbreak of COVID-19 during court proceedings. This was made possible by the dedicated efforts of our Judges and staff, along with the cooperation and support of the attorneys, law enforcement agencies, and others who regularly appear in our Court. We are grateful for the professionalism demonstrated by Maine's legal community throughout the past three years.
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding our COVID-19 related practices moving forward, please contact our Clerk of Court, Christa Berry, at Christa_Berry@med.uscourts.gov.