# United States District Court for the District of Maine

43°39′31″N 70°15′19″W﻿ / ﻿43.658726°N 70.255238°W﻿ / 43.658726; -70.255238
The U.S. District Court for the District of Maine (in case citations, D. Me.) is the U.S. district court for the state of Maine. The District of Maine was one of the original thirteen district courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, even though Maine was not a separate state from Massachusetts until 1820. The court is headquartered at the Edward T. Gignoux United States Courthouse in Portland, Maine, and has a second courthouse in Bangor, Maine.
The U.S. attorney for the District of Maine represents the United States in criminal and civil litigation before the court. As of February 22, 2025 the U.S. attorney is Craig M. Wolff.
Appeals from the District of Maine are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

## History

The District of Maine was one of the thirteen original districts created on September 24, 1789, by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73. At the time, Maine was part of the state of Massachusetts. As with other jurisdictions of the time, the District of Maine was originally assigned a single judgeship. Not being assigned to a judicial circuit, it was granted the same jurisdiction as the United States circuit court, except in appeals and writs of error, which were the jurisdiction of the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Massachusetts. The circuit court jurisdiction of the District of Maine was repealed on February 13, 1801 by 2 Stat. 89, and restored on March 8, 1802 by 2 Stat. 132. On March 30, 1820, shortly after Maine entered the Union, the District of Maine was assigned to the First Circuit and its internal circuit court jurisdiction was again repealed by 3 Stat. 554. A second judgeship was authorized on October 20, 1978, by, 92 Stat. 1629, and a third was authorized on December 1, 1990, by 104 Stat. 5089.

## Current judges

As of August 22, 2024:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Term of service | Term of service | Appointed by |
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Active | Chief | Senior | Appointed by |
| 19 | Chief Judge | Lance E. Walker | Bangor | 1972 | 2018–present | 2024–present | — | Trump |
| 17 | District Judge | Nancy Torresen | Portland | 1959 | 2011–present | 2015–2018 | — | Obama |
| 20 | District Judge | Stacey D. Neumann | Portland | 1978 | 2024–present | — | — | Biden |
| 13 | Senior Judge | D. Brock Hornby | inactive | 1944 | 1990–2010 | 1996–2003 | 2010–present | G.H.W. Bush |
| 15 | Senior Judge | George Z. Singal | Portland | 1945 | 2000–2013 | 2003–2009 | 2013–present | Clinton |
| 16 | Senior Judge | John A. Woodcock Jr. | Portland | 1950 | 2003–2017 | 2009–2015 | 2017–present | G.W. Bush |
| 18 | Senior Judge | Jon D. Levy | inactive | 1954 | 2014–2024 | 2019–2024 | 2024–present | Obama |

## Vacancies and pending nominations

| Seat | Prior judge's duty station | Seat last held by | Vacancy reason | Date of vacancy | Nominee | Date of nomination |
| 2 | Portland | Nancy Torresen | Senior status | October 11, 2025 | – | – |

## Former judges

| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
| 1 | David Sewall | ME | 1735–1825 | 1789–1818 | — | — | Washington | resignation |
| 2 | Albion Parris | ME | 1788–1857 | 1818–1822 | — | — | Monroe | resignation |
| 3 | Ashur Ware | ME | 1782–1873 | 1822–1866 | — | — | Monroe | resignation |
| 4 | Edward Fox | ME | 1815–1881 | 1866–1881 | — | — | A. Johnson | death |
| 5 | Nathan Webb | ME | 1825–1902 | 1882–1902 | — | — | Arthur | retirement |
| 6 | Clarence Hale | ME | 1848–1934 | 1902–1922 | — | 1922–1934 | T. Roosevelt | death |
| 7 | John A. Peters | ME | 1864–1953 | 1922–1947 | — | 1947–1953 | Harding | retirement |
| 8 | John David Clifford Jr. | ME | 1887–1956 | 1947–1956 | — | — | Truman | death |
| 9 | Edward Thaxter Gignoux | ME | 1916–1988 | 1957–1983 | 1978–1983 | 1983–1988 | Eisenhower | death |
| 10 | George J. Mitchell | ME | 1933–present | 1979–1980 | — | — | Carter | resignation |
| 11 | Conrad K. Cyr | ME | 1931–2016 | 1981–1989 | 1983–1989 | — | Reagan | elevation to 1st Cir. |
| 12 | Gene Carter | ME | 1935–2021 | 1983–2003 | 1989–1996 | 2003–2021 | Reagan | death |
| 14 | Morton A. Brody | ME | 1933–2000 | 1991–2000 | — | — | G.H.W. Bush | death |
Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge.
A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position.
When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire, on what has since 1958 been known as senior status, or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.

## Succession of seats

Seat 1 :
| Seat established on September 24, 1789 by 1 Stat. 73 ||||
| Sewall | 1789–1818 |
| Parris | 1818–1822 |
| Ware | 1822–1866 |
| Fox | 1866–1881 |
| Webb | 1882–1902 |
| Hale | 1902–1922 |
| Peters | 1922–1947 |
| Clifford, Jr. | 1947–1956 |
| Gignoux | 1957–1983 |
| Carter | 1983–2003 |
| Woodcock, Jr. | 2003–2017 |
| Walker | 2018–present |
Seat 2 :
| Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 ||||
| Mitchell | 1979–1980 |
| Cyr | 1981–1989 |
| Hornby | 1990–2010 |
| Torresen | 2011–present |
Seat 3 :
| Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 ||||
| Brody | 1991–2000 |
| Singal | 2000–2013 |
| Levy | 2014–2024 |
| Neumann | 2024–present |

## U.S. Attorneys

* William Lithgow, Jr. 1789-96
* Daniel Davis 1796-1801
* Silas Lee 1801-14
* William S. Preble 1814-20
* Ether Shepley 1820-33
* John Anderson 1833-37
* Joseph Howard 1837-41
* John Holmes 1841-43
* Gorham Parks 1843-45
* Augustine Haines 1845-48
* George F. Shepley 1848-49
* Thomas A. Deblois 1849-53
* George F. Shepley 1853-61
* George F. Talbot 1861-70
* Nathan Webb 1870-78
* Wilbur F. Lunt 1878-85
* George E. Bird 1886-90
* Issac W. Dyer 1890-94
* Albert W. Bradbury 1894-98
* Issac W. Dyer 1898-1906
* Robert T. Whitehouse 1906-14
* Stephen C. Perry 1914-15
* John F. A. Merrill 1915-22
* Frederick R. Dyer 1922-33
* John D. Clifford 1933-47
* Edward J. Harrington 1947
* Alton A. Lessard 1947-53
* Peter Mills 1953-61
* Alton A. Lessard 1961-65
* William E. McKinley, Jr. 1965
* Lloyd P. LaFountain 1966-69
* Peter Mills 1969-77
* George J. Mitchell 1977-79
* James W. Brannigan, Jr. 1979-80
* Thomas E. Delehanty II 1980-81
* Richard S. Cohen 1981-93
* Jay P. McCloskey 1993-2001
* Paula D. Silsby 2001-2010
* Thomas E. Delahanty II 2010-2017
* Halsey Frank 2017-2024
* Darcie N. McElwee 2021-2025
* Craig M. Wolff 2025-