Maine Military Attorneys

Rule 55(b) of the Maine Rules of Criminal Procedure allows active duty members with the armed services that are members of the bar of another state or the District of Columbia to appear in Maine courts on a limited basis.

Attorneys must be defending charges of Class D or Class E crimes for enlisted personnel on active duty of pay grades of E-4 and below who might not otherwise be able to afford proper legal assistance and consent to the representation. The client must consent to the representation.

The senior legal officer of any one of the armed services on active duty within the service district that includes Maine is required to provide written authorization. The written authorization may be general and not confined to a particular case. A copy of the written authorization by the senior legal officer must be filed with the Clerk.