Me. Rev. Stat. » Title 15
Maine Revised Statutes

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 15, § 1 (2026)

Superior Court; criminal jurisdiction

✓ current as of May 2026
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1.  Jurisdiction.  The Superior Court has original jurisdiction, exclusive or concurrent, of all crimes.  
[PL 1999, c. 731, Pt. ZZZ, §9 (NEW); PL 1999, c. 731, Pt. ZZZ, §42 (AFF).]
2.  Appellate and review jurisdiction. 
[PL 2015, c. 431, §3 (RP).]
3.  Location of post-arraignment proceedings.  The Supreme Judicial Court may by rule provide that, with the consent of the defendant, post-arraignment proceedings in criminal cases may be conducted at locations other than those provided by statute. The Supreme Judicial Court may by rule provide that, without the consent of the defendant, post-arraignment proceedings in criminal cases may be conducted at locations other than those provided by statute, provided that the location is in an adjoining county and that it is in the vicinity of where the offense was committed.  
[PL 1999, c. 731, Pt. ZZZ, §9 (NEW); PL 1999, c. 731, Pt. ZZZ, §42 (AFF).]
4.  No jurisdiction, powers, duties or authority of Law Court.  The Superior Court does not have and may not exercise the jurisdiction, powers, duties or authority of the Supreme Judicial Court sitting as the Law Court.  
[PL 1999, c. 731, Pt. ZZZ, §9 (NEW); PL 1999, c. 731, Pt. ZZZ, §42 (AFF).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1975, c. 337, §3 (AMD). PL 1979, c. 127, §114 (AMD). PL 1985, c. 179 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 731, §ZZZ9 (RPR). PL 1999, c. 731, §ZZZ42 (AFF). PL 2005, c. 64, §1 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 100, §1 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 431, §3 (AMD).
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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 12 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1968–2026 · leading case: State of Maine v. Thomas Bennett, 2015 ME 46 (Me. 2015).
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State of Maine v. Thomas Bennett, 2015 ME 46 (Me. 2015). “§ 1252(2)(D) (2014) (authorizing a court to impose a term of imprisonment of less than one year).”
State v. Bowman, 588 A.2d 728 (Me. 1991). “” Pursuant to that statute, the Supreme Judicial Court promulgated M.R.Crim.P. 21(b)(2) which provides: “With the consent of the defendant and the attorney for the state the court may transfer a proceeding to another county or division.”
State v. Nile, 557 A.2d 950 (Me. 1989). “See 15 M.R.S.A. § 1 (Supp.1988). See also M.R.”
State v. Sproul, 544 A.2d 743 (Me. 1988). “Rule 21(d) was promulgated under the authority of 15 M.R.S.A. § 1 (Supp.1987). Defendant points to the Statement of Fact that accompanied the initial draft of the statute as evidence that it was intended to be limited to eliminating county court backlogs.”
State v. Nile, 595 A.2d 1047 (Me. 1991). “Nile now argues that the Superior Court committed reversible error in removing the case from Oxford to Lincoln County, citing the Maine Constitution, article I, section 6 and 15 M.R.S.A. § 1 (1980 & Supp.1990).”
State of Maine v. Mark Gessner, 2021 ME 41 (Me. 2021). “§ 165 (2021); 15 M.R.S. § 1 (2021); see also State v. Pease, 452 A.”
State v. Chasse, 797 A.2d 1262 (Me. 2002). “” The Court also has specific rulemaking authority to provide that post-arraignment criminal proceedings in Superior Court “may be conducted at locations other than those provided by statute, provided that the location is in an adjoining county and that it is in the vicinity of…”
State of Maine v. Neil D. Salisbury, 2017 ME 215 (Me. 2017). “On appeal, he primarily challenges the court’s jurisdiction. We affirm the judgment.”
State of Maine v. Wade R. Hoover Corrected August 29, 2017 (, 2017 ME 158 (Me. 2017). “The court had jurisdiction to sentence Hoover, see 15 M.R.S. § 1 (2016), and the period of incarceration for each charge, and in total, was within the range authorized by law, see 17-A M.”
Lemieux v. Robbins, 294 F. Supp. 1171 (D. Me. 1968). “15 M.R.S.A. § 1 (1964). All criminal proceedings originally brought in the Superior Court and all felony proceedings must be prosecuted by indictment found by a grand jury, unless the matter is one in which prosecution by information is authorized by statute, and the defendant…”
State of Maine v. Thomas G. Coffill III, 2026 ME 18 (Me. 2026). “§ 165(1) (2025) (setting out the jurisdiction of Maine’s District Court); 15 M.R.S. § 1(1) (2025) (setting out the jurisdiction of Maine’s Superior Court); infra n.”
State v. Adjutant, 2010 ME 95 (Me. 2010). “” Similarly, 15 M.R.S. § 1(2)(E) (2009) recognizes that “[t]he Superior Court has jurisdiction to hear appeals and petitions from .”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 15, § 1(1) — 2 cases
State of Maine v. Neil D. Salisbury, 2017 ME 215 (Me. 2017). “On appeal, he primarily challenges the court’s jurisdiction. We affirm the judgment.”
State of Maine v. Thomas G. Coffill III, 2026 ME 18 (Me. 2026). “§ 165(1) (2025) (setting out the jurisdiction of Maine’s District Court); 15 M.R.S. § 1(1) (2025) (setting out the jurisdiction of Maine’s Superior Court); infra n.”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 15, § 1(2)(E) — 1 case
State v. Adjutant, 2010 ME 95 (Me. 2010). “” Similarly, 15 M.R.S. § 1(2)(E) (2009) recognizes that “[t]he Superior Court has jurisdiction to hear appeals and petitions from .”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 15, § 1(3) — 1 case
State v. Chasse, 797 A.2d 1262 (Me. 2002). “” The Court also has specific rulemaking authority to provide that post-arraignment criminal proceedings in Superior Court “may be conducted at locations other than those provided by statute, provided that the location is in an adjoining county and that it is in the vicinity of…”
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