The judicial history of Maine is complicated as different courts were established at different times according to need, some existing concurrently with what would become their successors; courts abolished, with their duties assumed by other courts; and courts re-established using previous courts’ titles, with similar or expanded jurisdiction. Adding to the complexity of the various and sometimes overlapping courts is the partitioning of existing counties to form new counties.

Currently, the Maine Judicial Branch includes three courts: the Supreme Judicial Court, which hears appeals on questions of law; the Superior Court, which conducts civil and criminal trials with jury involvement; and the District Courts, which address lesser criminal offenses, civil actions, and family law.

Initially, the colony of Maine, which had no charter provision for colonial government, utilized a Court of Commissioners, established by original grantee Sir Fernando Gorges; the court was legitimized in 1639 by English royal permission. When Massachusetts purchased Maine in 1677, it was recognized as the formal governmental authority of the area.

In 1699, the Massachusetts Bay Colony passed a judicial reform act establishing the Court of General Sessions of the Peace to handle cases and petitions pertaining to the public good; the Inferior Court of Common Pleas heard civil complaints; the Superior Court of Judicature, Court of Assize and General Gaol Delivery handled appeals from the Court of General Sessions of the Peace and from the Inferior Court of Common Pleas.

In 1780, Massachusetts adopted a state constitution that included provisions for the establishment of the Supreme Judicial Court. The legislature set up this court in 1782, effectively abolishing the Superior Court, with the Supreme Judicial Court assuming all of its responsibilities.

The Supreme Judicial Court was established with jurisdiction over civil cases, capital cases, and public offenses. The General Sessions court was renamed the Court of Sessions, focusing on criminal cases, county jail management, and highway layout, while the Circuit Court of Common Pleas maintained its role in civil cases.

Maine courts were part of the Massachusetts Judicial system until 1820, when Maine became a state and the Maine Legislature reauthorized the General Sessions and Circuit Court of Common Pleas to continue their functions under the new Maine Constitution. In 1825, the first official municipal police court was established in Portland. Municipal courts had jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases within the town, excluding larcenies exceeding $20 and criminal cases where the fine exceeded $5.

In 1828, the power of the Supreme Judicial Court was further clarified to include the ability to function as the Law Court for Maine, allowing it to review all or part of proceedings related to common law.

In 1839, the Maine state legislature abolished the Court of Common Pleas and created District Courts, which handled civil cases with debts or damages up to $200 and offenses previously managed by the former court. (Note: counties formed after 1839 never had their own Court of Common Pleas.) These District Courts, however, were dissolved in 1852, with their duties transferred to the Supreme Judicial Court. The Superior Court (which had been abolished in 1782) was re-established in Cumberland County in 1868 for criminal cases, eventually expanding to all counties by 1929, taking over non-appellate cases while sharing jurisdiction with the Supreme Judicial Court. In 1929, significant changes designated Maine as a single district for the Supreme Judicial Court, which began meeting eight times a year, while the Superior Court gained exclusive jurisdiction over certain appellate, criminal, and civil cases.

In 1961, legislation reestablished District Courts in Maine, dividing the state into 13 districts. These courts handle civil and criminal cases previously managed by trial justices and municipal courts, sharing jurisdiction with the Superior Court for certain civil matters, divorce, annulment, and specific probate issues. The creation of District Courts abolished the Court of County Commissioners and other lower courts.

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