Maine Supreme Judicial Court Decisions 2018

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgments entered by the probate court terminating Father’s parental rights to his two children in anticipation of an adoption, holding that the court did not err in its use of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court vacated the judgment of the superior court affirming the decision of the Department of Health and Human Services to deny John Doe’s request for a review of the Department’s 2003 substantiation of him…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court finding that the City of Portland had proved that Appellant, the owner of an apartment building, had violated violated fire, electrical, and life…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court convicting Defendant of intentional or knowing murder and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, holding that the court did not err in the way…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s parental rights to her child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a), holding that the court’s findings were supported…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(iv), holding that Father…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(ii), holding that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the order of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his child, holding that sufficient evidence supported the court’s finding of parental unfitness and that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his three children, holding that the court did not err in its unfitness or best interest…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Appellant’s conviction of gross sexual assault, unlawful sexual contact, and furnishing liquor to a minor, holding that the court did not err in determining that Appellant was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s parental rights to her youngest child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (1)(B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(iv), holding…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court convicting Defendant of operating under the influence (OUI) with one prior OUI offense, holding that the court did not abuse its discretion during the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the probate court appointing the Department of Health and Human Services as David P.’s limited public guardian pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 18-A, 5-601, holding that any…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this dispute over the location of the boundary between the land of Appellees and the land of Appellants, the Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the superior court declaring the location of that boundary…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s and Father’s parental rights to their child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(ii), (iv),…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating the parental rights of Mother and Father to their child pursuant to me. Rev. Stat. 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(iv), holding…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Appellant’s parental rights to his son, holding that the court did not err or abuse its discretion in finding that the factors supported…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s and Father’s parental rights to their two older children pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), holding…

Justia Opinion Summary: At issue was whether evidence of the factual circumstances underpinning Defendant’s prior manslaughter conviction was admissible to establish an enhancing factor necessary to convict Defendant of the Class B offense of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court in favor of the Town of Glenburn on its land use violation complaint but vacated the civil penalty imposed by the district court, holding that the record was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his child, holding that the record supported the court’s finding of parental unfitness. Specifically, the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Defendant’s judgment of conviction for operating under the influence (Class D), holding that the motion court did not err by denying Defendant’s motion to suppress evidence of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed orders of the trial court denying Appellant’s motions to suppress evidence that was seized by the local police department and state police and then returned to the individuals who…

Justia Opinion Summary: After correcting one aspect of the judgment, the Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the superior court granting Defendants’ motions to dismiss Plaintiff’s complaint stemming from a hospital’s decision not to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment of the superior court dismissing as untimely Appellant’s petition seeking review of a rule promulgated by the Department of Corrections (DOC), holding that the court should…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating the parental rights of Father and Mother to their child, holding that there was no error in the proceedings below. After a hearing on…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his child pursuant to 22 Me. Rev. Stat. 4055(1)(B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(ii), holding that there was no abuse of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s parental rights to her child, holding that there was no abuse of discretion in the proceedings below. Specifically, the Court…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s parental rights to her youngest child, holding that there was no abuse of discretion in the proceedings below. Specifically,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s parental rights to her child, holding that there was sufficient evidence in the record to support the court’s findings and that…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his two children, holding that the evidence supported the court’s findings and discretionary…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court finding circumstances of jeopardy to Mother’s newborn child’s health and welfare pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4002(6)(A)-(B), 4035(2), holding that…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s parental rights to her child, holding that the record supported the finding of parental unfitness to the standard of clear and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court finding that Mother’s minor child was in jeopardy pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4035, holding that there was competent evidence in the record to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the superior court affirming the decision of the Maine Labor Relations Board in favor of the Fraternal Order of Police (the Union) on Plaintiff’s prohibited practice…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed in part and vacated in part an order of the trial court suppressing evidence seized pursuant to a warrantless search of Defendant’s jacket and vehicle, holding that the search of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment of the superior court denying Jerry Philogene’s motion to set aside a default and for relief from a judgment, holding that Philogene demonstrated excusable neglect. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court dismissed the appeal brought by the Department of Health and Human Services (Department) from a partial judgment entered in the Business and Consumer Docket mandating the implementation of one…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this professional negligence action, the Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the superior court concluding that Defendant, a medical center, was not negligent when it discharged Plaintiffs’ father, who…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Defendant’s conviction for four counts of gross sexual assault and other sex offenses, holding that none of Defendant’s assignments of error required reversal. Specifically, the…

Justia Opinion Summary: At issue was the availability of homeowner’s liability insurance coverage for damages resulting from injuries Jonathan Ben-Ami received after Joshua Francoeur, a fellow high-school student, punched Ben-Ami a number of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the superior court granting motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment in an order that resulted in judgment for all defendants on Plaintiff’s complaint,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court dismissed this appeal challenging the promulgation of a final rule by the Public Utilities Commission, holding that this Court does not have original jurisdiction over appeals from…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated a judgment of foreclosure entered by the district court in favor of M&T Bank following a nonjury trial on M&T Bank’s complaint and remanded for entry of a judgment in favor of Lawrence…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the superior court affirming the decision of the Secretary of State to impose a three-year administrative suspension of Appellant’s driver’s license based on a fatal…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Defendant’s conviction for aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs following his guilty plea, holding that the motion court did not err in denying Defendant’s motion to suppress…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this divorce proceeding, the Supreme Judicial Court vacated the district court’s child support order but affirmed the divorce judgment in all other respects, holding that the record did not support the factors used by…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court convicting Defendant of ten charges, including two counts of intentional or knowing murder, holding that the trial court did not err by allowing the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court, sitting as the juvenile court, that adjudicated J.R. of having committed two counts of criminal mischief and three counts of theft, holding that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this interlocutory appeal, the Supreme Judicial Court remanded the matter without reaching the merits of the appeal, holding that the discovery order challenged on appeal was now a nullity and did not govern future…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Defendant’s conviction of twenty-eight counts of gross sexual assault, holding that the evidence was sufficient to convict Defendant of each count of gross sexual assault. Defendant…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Defendant’s conviction for violating a public safety fire rule, holding that Defendant’s arguments on appeal were unavailing. Defendant was convicted of failing to comply with section…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court held that an individual resident of Maine was not entitled to a Maine income tax credit for any portion of business taxes imposed by New Hampshire on a New Hampshire limited liability company…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court held that the statutory notification process necessary for a conviction for operating after habitual offender revocation is not satisfied where the Secretary of State elects to mail the notification of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(ii), holding that the evidence…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court convicting Defendant of aggravated operating under the influence and aggravated assault, holding that the court did not err in denying Defendant’s…

Justia Opinion Summary: At issue was whether a defendant who has conditions of release set by a judicial officer can be convicted of violation of a condition of release for acts committed while in jail after not securing release on…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the Unified Criminal Docket convicting Defendant of violating a protection order, holding that Defendant’s posts on his Facebook page, including threatening ones,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The “prisoner mailbox rule” applies when a prisoner is forced to rely on the Department of Corrections to ensure that his Me. R. Civ. P. 80C petition is filed, that prisoner places the petition into the control of the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment of the district court modifying Father’s child support obligation to Mother regarding the parties’ minor child, holding that the court had authority to modify child support…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court in favor of the Town of Mount Vernon on its land use violation complaint filed pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 30-A, 4452 and Me. R. Civ. P. 80K, holding…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of conviction of manslaughter entered in the trial court, following a jury trial, holding that Defendant’s contentions of error were unavailing. Specifically, the Court…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court finding that Plaintiff was abused by Defendant and granting a two-year extension of a protection from abuse order to Plaintiff. The Court held (1)…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the order of the superior court denying Benton, LLC’s motion for summary judgment and rejecting its claim that section 104 of the Maine Workers’ Compensation Act of 1992, Me. Rev.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the determination of the superior court that Plaintiffs’ Me. R. Civ. P. 80B petition was moot, vacated the declaratory judgment entered by the court, and remanded for dismissal of the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court finding jeopardy as to two of Mother’s children pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4035 and ordering the Department of Health and Human Services to cease…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court convicting Defendant of aggravated trafficking in schedule W drugs, in violation of Me. Rev. Stat. 17-A, 1105-A(1)(D), holding that section 1105-A(1)(D)…

Justia Opinion Summary: At issue was whether, when the defendant has caused a physical invasion of the plaintiff’s property, the plaintiff must present evidence of a specific diminution in market value in order to successfully prove…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating the parental rights of Father and Mother (together, Parents) to their son pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a),…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court held that the trial court did not err in determining that the State did not engage in purposeful discrimination when it used a peremptory challenge that excluded from the jury the sole person…

Justia Opinion Summary: Clear and convincing evidence supported the district court’s finding that Mother was unfit as a parent, and the district court acted within its discretion in determining that termination of Mother’s parental rights was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court granting Appellant’s petition for postconviction relief and vacating his conviction of sexual abuse of a minor, holding that the court’s factual…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal brought by Sharon Carrillo from an order of the trial court denying her motion to disqualify the State’s attorneys from further participation in her prosecution for murder, holding…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the trial court’s denial of Defendant’s motion to suppress his blood-alcohol test results as having been procured without a warrant and without voluntary consent, holding that…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court finding John McNutt (Dan) in contempt of the parties’ earlier divorce judgment and increasing his spousal support obligation to Janice McNutt. On…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s parental rights to her child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i),(iv), holding that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this appeal, the Supreme Judicial Court clarified the circumstances in which a court order that anticipates a change in child support upon the occurrence of future events will be self-effectuating. In 2007, Todd Wood…

Justia Opinion Summary: A Department of Health and Human Services hearing officer erred in concluding that a child support ordered entered in James Fagone’s divorce from Kristin Fagone authorized the Department’s Division of Support Enforcement…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed a summary judgment entered in the Business and Consumer Docket in favor of Copay Italia S.p.A. on Puritan Medical Products Company’s claim that Copay violated Maine’s Actions for Bad…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Business and Consumer Docket did not err by determining that the Sensible Transportation Policy Act (STPA), Me. Rev. Stat. 23, 73, afforded the plaintiffs, who sought declaratory and injunctive relief regarding the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Parents’ parental rights to their two children and denying their motions to reopen the record and for relief from judgment. On appeal,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court held that a bail condition order prohibiting Defendant from possessing a “dangerous weapon” issued by a New Hampshire bail commissioner was a “similar order issued by a court…of another state” pursuant…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the district court’s judgment terminating Mother’s parental rights to her child. On appeal, Mother argued that the district court erred in determining that the termination of her…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment of the trial court convicting Defendant, after a jury trial, of domestic violence assault and violating a condition of release, holding that certain errors in the jury…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the district court’s grant of partial summary judgment in favor of Avis Rent A Car System, LLC on Avis’s claim for breach of contract but vacated the court’s award of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the decision of the Appellate Division affirming the order of the Workers’ Compensation Board (Board) requiring Plaintiff’s former employer (Defendant) to pay for medical marijuana used…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Parents’ parental rights to their three children while also approving a permanency guardianship as a possible permanency plan. After…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court concluding that Appellant did not have standing to pursue a claim for visitation rights with her grandchild pursuant to the Grandparents Visitation…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court vacated the child support order and the associated part of the divorce judgment in this case and remanded to the trial court for clarification because the child support order and the judgment were…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court dismissed this interlocutory appeal brought by Defendants challenging the superior court’s denial of their motion to seal or strike, holding that Defendants did not demonstrate the irreparable…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court dismissing Appellant’s complaint seeking to be determined a de facto parent of her grandson. The district court concluded, after a contested hearing,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court convicting Defendant of assault, holding that Defendant was not denied a fair trial because one of the jurors reported that she had felt pressured to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(iv), holding that Father…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the superior court denying Appellant’s petition for release and discharge from the custody of the Commissioner of Health and Human Services pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment of the district court denying the maternal grandmother’s petition to adopt Parker J., granting the adoption to Parker’s paternal grandmother on her petition, and also…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s parental rights to two of her children pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(ii), (iv). On…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court convicting Defendant, after a jury trial, of aggravated assault. Defendant, a mixed martial arts fighter, repeatedly punched the victim in the head,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment entered by the probate court granting the petition of Ella’s maternal grandmother for temporary guardianship, holding that the evidence did not support the court’s finding…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed in part and vacated in part an order of the superior court upholding in part a decision of the Maine Office of the Attorney General (OAG) denying Dubois Livestock, Inc.’s Freedom of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the order of the superior court affirming in part the decision of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) to deny portions of Appellants’ request for records…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s parental rights to her children, holding that the record supported the finding of parental unfitness. Specifically, the Court…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the order of the trial court quashing Appellant’s subpoenas of mental health records of the alleged victim without first viewing the records in camera and remanded for the production…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s and Father’s parental rights to their daughter pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i),(ii), and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Defendant’s sentence entered in the Unified Criminal Docket following Defendant’s guilty plea to two counts of aggravated criminal operating under the influence and possession of a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of conviction entered by the sentencing court following Defendant’s guilty plea to an information charging him with felony murder. The sentencing court imposed a prison…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court dismissed Appellant’s appeal from a judgment of conviction of manslaughter following Appellant’s unconditional open guilty plea, holding that Appellant provided no persuasive reason for the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court dismissed the appeal brought by Appellant challenging his sentence requiring him to pay $7,500 in restitution based on his involvement in damaging rental property from which he was evicted. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s and Father’s parental rights to their children. The Court held that the findings of the lower court were sufficient to support…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment of the superior court dismissing Petitioner’s complaint seeking review of a disciplinary decision of the Department of Corrections. In dismissing the petition, the superior…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicially Court partially vacated the judgment of the district court granting Anne McBride’s motion to enforce Jeffrey Worth’s spousal support obligation pursuant to the parties’ divorce judgment, granting…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s parental rights to her daughter pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(ii), holding that there…

Justia Opinion Summary: Ranked-choice voting is the current statutory law of Maine for the primary elections scheduled for June 12, 2018. The superior court reported seven questions to the Supreme Judicial Court addressing the Secretary of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(ii), holding that the court did not err in…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment entered by the district court denying Father’s Me. R. Civ. P. 60(b) motion for relief from judgment after the court granted Mother’s motion to modify a parental rights and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of divorce, defaulting Husband, holding that the district court did not err in determining that service by publication was adequate. When Wife filed a complaint for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i), (iv), holding that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The evidence presented to the Secretary of State’s hearing examiner supported the determination that Walter Melevsky III failed to submit to a test of his blood-alcohol concentration, and therefore, the hearing examiner…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment of foreclosure entered by the superior court in favor of Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, holding that the superior court abused its discretion by admitting into…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Defendant’s convictions for three counts of murder and one count of gross sexual assault and the sentences of life imprisonment imposed on each of the murder counts. The Court held (1)…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court convicting Defendant of intentional or knowing murder. The Court held (1) the trial court did not abuse its discretion or commit obvious error when it…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(b) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(ii). The Court held (1) the district…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment of the superior court entering summary judgment in favor of Curtis Frye, Daryl Frye, and the Estate of Carroll Frye (collectively, the Estate) on the Estate’s action…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the trial court’s judgment convicting Defendant of three counts of possession of sexually explicit material, thus denying Defendant’s challenges to the denial of his motion to suppress…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment of the trial court convicting Defendant of arson. On appeal, Defendant argued that the trial court violated his right to be protected against double jeopardy by admitting…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s and Father’s parental rights to their child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i), (b)(ii). The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The district court did not err in granting Plaintiff’s petition for a protection from abuse order against Defendant, her boyfriend. After a hearing, the district court found that Defendant had abused Plaintiff and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court dismissed this appeal from a partial summary judgment entered by the superior court in favor of Bayview Loan Servicing, LLC and M&T Mortgage Corporation as interlocutory, holding that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating father’s parental rights to his child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i), (ii), (iv). The Court held…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court convicting Defendant of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, unlawful possession of a scheduled drug, and unlawful possession of oxycodone. On…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this criminal case, the Supreme Court dismissed Defendant’s appeal from the dismissal of his motion to vacate as moot and remanded the case for further proceedings. While Defendant’s competency to stand trial was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i), (ii), (iv). Contrary to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s parental rights to her daughter pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i), (ii), (iv). The Court…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(ii). The Court held (1) the district…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the superior court on consolidated Rule 80C appeals from the decision of the Maine Labor Relations Board (MLRB) on the School Administrative District 3 Education…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Town of Steuben’s taking of an interest in Rogers Point Road by eminent domain pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 23, 3023 was constitutional because it arose from a public exigency and was for public use. Bayberry Cove…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the superior court affirming the Town of Yarmouth Planning Board’s approval of a site plan application by Verizon Wireless to install wireless communication equipment…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed in part and vacated in part the amended judgment entered in the district court granting Edward Manter’s motion to modify and amending the parties’ 2008 divorce judgment as amended. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Defendant’s conviction for operating under the influence (OUI), operating after habitual offender revocation, and driving to endanger, entered by the trial court after a jury trial.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Me. Rev. Stat. 39-A, 221 entitles an employer to a credit for workers’ compensation benefits previously paid for the same liability period when the employee was also receiving Social Security retirement benefits.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court convicting Defendant of hindering apprehension, obstructing government administration, and refusing to submit to arrest. On appeal, Defendant argued…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment of the trial court denying the State’s motion to reconsider the court’s order dismissing, with prejudice, thirteen of the State’s fifteen counts against Defendant as a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this divorce action, the district court failed to set forth adequate findings on the issues raised by Appellant in a Me. R. Civ. P. 52 motion regarding spousal support and property classification. On appeal from a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Department of Health and Human Services initiated a child protection proceeding. The court entered a preliminary protection order and placed Corey in Department custody on April 22, 2017, the day the child was born.…

Justia Opinion Summary: At issue was the application of the consent to adoption statute, Me. Rev. Stat. 18-A, 9-302, to contested adoption proceedings heard in the district court following a district court judgment terminating parental rights…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court convicting Defendant of possession of sexually explicit material depicting a minor under twelve years old and the sentence imposed in connection with the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The motion court did not err by applying the inevitable discovery doctrine to deny Defendant's motion to suppress evidence of drugs found on his person before the issuance of a search warrant. The Unified Criminal…

Justia Opinion Summary: Me. Rev. Stat. 17-A, 1112 is facially constitutional, and, in the instant case, the trial court’s admission of a lab certificate in lieu of live witness testimony pursuant to that statute was not a violation of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court concluded that former York County Probate Judge Robert M.A. Nadeau violated Rule 2.11(A) of the Maine Code of Judicial Conduct when he participated in the resolution of a case after acknowledging that…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment entered by the superior court upholding the final agency decision of the Department of Health and Human Services denying Appellant’s application for food supplement…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his three children pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(ii). On appeal,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(iii). On appeal, Father…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating the parental rights of Father and Mother to their children pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(ii). On…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court, entered after a jury trial, finding that Defendant had committed the civil violations of improperly displaying a registration plate and failing to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his two children pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(iv). On appeal,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court denying Defendant’s motion for a new trial, which Defendant brought pursuant to the post-conviction DNA analysis statute, Me. Rev. Stat. 15, 2135-2138.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother’s parental rights pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2). On appeal, counsel for Mother filed an appellate…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights to his child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(iv). On appeal, Father…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Parents’ parental rights to their child pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(ii). On appeal, Parents…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Father’s parental rights pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 22, 4055(1)(A)(1)(a) and (B)(2)(a), (b)(i)-(ii), (iv). On appeal, Father argued that…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the juvenile court adjudicating Appellant of the juvenile crime of gross sexual assault. On appeal, Appellant argued that the evidence was insufficient to support the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The probate court did not err in adopting the report of a referee and imposing a constructive trust on Plaintiff’s interests in real property, but remand is necessary for the probate court to enter an appropriate…