District Court
| Town | Address | Phone # | TTY # |
|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta | 1 Court Street, Suite 101, Augusta, ME 04330 | (207) 213-2800 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Bangor | 78 Exchange Street, Bangor, ME 04401 | (207) 561-2300 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Belfast | 103 Church Street, Belfast, ME 04915 | (207) 338-3107 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Biddeford | 25 Adams Street, Biddeford, ME 04005 | (207) 283-1147 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Bridgton | 3 Chase Street, Suite 2, Bridgton, ME 04009 | (207) 647-3535 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Calais | 382 South Street, Suite B, Calais, ME 04619 | (207) 454-2055 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Caribou | 144 Sweden Street, Suite 104, Caribou, ME 04736 | (207) 493-3144 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Dover-Foxcroft | 159 East Main Street, Suite 21, Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426 | (207) 564-2240 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Ellsworth | 50 State Street, Suite 2, Ellsworth, ME 04605 | (207) 667-7141 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Farmington | 129 Main Street, Suite 1, Farmington, ME 04938 | (207) 778-2119 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Fort Kent | 139 Market Street, Suite 101, Fort Kent, ME 04743 | (207) 834-5003 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Houlton | 26 Court Street, Suite 201, Houlton, ME 04730 | (207) 532-2147 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Lewiston | Mailing: P.O. Box 1345, Lewiston, ME 04243-1345 Physical: 71 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, ME 04240 |
(207) 795-4800 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Lincoln | 52 Main Street, Lincoln, ME 04457 | (207) 794-8512 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Machias | Mailing: P.O. Box 526, Machias, ME 04654-0526 Physical: 85 Court Street, Machias, ME 04654 |
(207) 255-3044 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Madawaska | Mailing: 139 Market Street, Suite 101, Fort Kent, ME 04743 Physical: 645 Main Street, Madawaska, ME 04756 |
(207) 728-4700 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Millinocket | Mailing: 52 Main Street, Lincoln, ME 04457 Physical: 207 Penobscot Avenue, Millinocket, ME 04462 |
(207) 723-4786 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Newport | 12 Water Street, Newport, ME 04953 | (207) 368-5778 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Portland | 205 Newbury Street, Portland, ME 04101 | (207) 822-4200 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Presque Isle | 27 Riverside Drive, Presque Isle, ME 04769 | (207) 764-2055 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Rockland | 62 Union Street, Rockland, ME 04841 | (207) 596-2240 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Rumford | 145 Congress Street, Rumford, ME 04276 | (207) 364-7171 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Skowhegan | 47 Court Street, Skowhegan, ME 04976 | (207) 474-9518 | 711 Maine Relay |
| South Paris | 26 Western Avenue, South Paris, ME 04281 | (207) 743-8942 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Springvale | 447 Main Street, Springvale, ME 04083 | (207) 459-1400 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Waterville | 18 Colby Street, Waterville, ME 04901 | (207) 873-2103 | 711 Maine Relay |
| West Bath | 101 New Meadows Road, West Bath, ME 04530 | (207) 442-0200 | 711 Maine Relay |
| Wiscasset | Mailing: P.O. Box 249, Wiscasset, ME 04578-0249 Physical: 32 High Street, Wiscasset, ME 04578 |
(207) 882-6363 | 711 Maine Relay |
| York | 11 Chases Pond Road, York, ME 03909 | (207) 363-1230 | 711 Maine Relay |
The District Court system was created by the Legislature in 1961. The District Court has 38 judges who hold court in eight (8) judicial regions at many locations throughout Maine. This court hears civil, criminal and family matters and always sits without a jury. Civil suits claiming monetary damages, domestic relations cases (divorces, separations, custody, and property disputes), and involuntary commitments are examples of civil cases.
There is also established within the District Court a Family Division that has jurisdiction over family matters in the District Court. There are 8 Family Law Magistrates who work in the Family Division.
A plaintiff who has a right to trial by jury in a civil action waives the right by bringing the action in District Court; a defendant with a right to a civil jury may remove the action to a Superior Court for jury trial.
The court also tries cases involving civil violations and Class D and E criminal offenses when the defendant waives the right to a jury trial. In addition, the court hears all juvenile matters and traffic infraction cases.
Most decisions of the District Court may be appealed directly to the Supreme Judicial Court, except for small claims and forcible entry and detainer cases.
In Maine, the small claims court is a special session of the District Court held in each district on certain days determined by the Chief Judge of the District Court. In small claims court, the procedure is simplified, hearings are informal, and parties generally appear without attorneys. Small claims proceedings are appropriate only when the amount in controversy, not including interest and costs, is not more than $6,000. Appeals from small claims judgments may be taken to the Superior Court. A defendant who appeals, and who has a right to a jury trial, may have a trial de novo (a complete retrial) before a Superior Court jury.
In 2007, the Supreme Judicial Court identified several serious problems caused by the procedures used in District and Superior Courts throughout the state for the processing of criminal cases, which led to the creation of a Unified Criminal Docket (UCD). The purpose of the UCD model are to streamline court events, reduce the number of court appearances, reduce duplication of work by clerks, provide certainty in scheduling, promote prompt and fair resolution of cases and reduce time to resolution of criminal cases. Portland was selected as the pilot site, and on January 4, 2009, the Cumberland UCD commenced operation there. Over the course of the next six years, the UCD model was fully implemented statewide in 2015.
For many years, Justices of the Superior Court and Judges of the District Court have been authorized to hear matters in either trial court. Through the process of cross assignment, trial court chiefs are able to send judges to the areas of greatest need.
