Leigh Saufley, the first woman to serve as chief justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, will leave after 19 years on the job to become dean of the University of Maine School of Law in Portland.
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Chief justice to fill in for LePage to swear-in Maine lawmakers
AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine’s Republican governor will not administer the oath of office to lawmakers at their ceremonial swearing-in ceremony. Gov. Paul LePage’s spokeswoman Julie Rabinowitz said Tuesday the governor is scheduled for back surgery Wednesday, when the new batch of lawmakers will be sworn-in. Chief Justice Leigh Saufley of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court […]
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Maine’s chief justice rules in favor of public access to state court records
Maine’s new electronic court filing system will be available to the public for a fee, the state’s top judge said Thursday. The State Supreme Judicial Court was about to hold a public hearing Thursday morning on the $15 million system, which will allow prosecutors, defense lawyers and judges to file documents online, when Chief Justice […]
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‘One man, one vote’ among legal concerns facing ranked-choice voting
PORTLAND (AP) — A comment during supreme court arguments on ranked-choice voting offers a window into where many fear that things are headed — more legal challenges. Justice Donald Alexander questioned whether the system that lets voters rank candidates could violate the “one man, one vote” principle. His colleagues suggested that’s an argument for later. […]
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Skeptical high court hears arguments on blocking ranked-choice voting in Maine
Maine’s highest court is likely to rule quickly on legal questions around the state’s first-in-the-nation, ranked-choice voting law after a hearing Thursday marked by the justices’ pointed and skeptical questioning of attorneys involved in the case. The case, which involves the Maine Senate, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap and the Committee for Ranked Choice Voting […]
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Maine chief justice proposes new drug court in response to opioid crisis
AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine Chief Justice Leigh Saufley used her annual address to lawmakers Tuesday to propose a new drug court in response to the opioid crisis, provide an update on digitizing court records — and announce that she’s battled breast cancer. Saufley said she was diagnosed last summer thanks to an annual test that […]
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Chief Justice Leigh Saufley calls to keep addicts out of jails
AUGUSTA — Maine Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Leigh Saufley advocated Wednesday for more diversion programs to keep drug addicts out of jail during her annual State of the Judiciary address at the State House. Central in Saufley’s recommendations was the hiring or contracting of more case managers to help addicts accused of drug crimes […]
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Gov. LePage reappoints Leigh Saufley as Maine chief justice
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage announced Thursday he is reappointing the state’s top judge, Chief Justice Leigh Saufley, to a historic third term. Her term was set to expire at the end of February. Saufley, who was first appointed to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in 1997 by independent Gov. Angus King, is the state’s […]
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State’s top court rules CMP kept $2.6M too much in customer deposit money
PORTLAND — The Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled on Tuesday that Central Maine Power Co. kept $2.6 million more in deposit payments than it should have, a move state regulators say threatened to inflate customers’ rates. In a ruling written by Chief Justice Leigh Saufley, the state’s highest court affirmed a decision by the Maine […]
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Maine’s chief justice supports drug courts and e-filing
AUGUSTA — Chief Justice Leigh Saufley urged lawmakers Tuesday to support the governor’s proposals to replace the court system’s outdated computer system to improve efficiency and to provide greater access to court documents. She also urged them to bolster resources to fight drug and alcohol addiction. Saufley said during her State of the Judiciary address that […]