Justia Maine Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment convicting Defendant of two counts of gross sexual assault, holding that the trial court did not err in determining that Defendant was an "other official" under Me. Rev. Stat. 17-A 253(2)(F).Defendant was a fifty-seven-year old driving school owner who taught driver's education courses at a public high school in Skowhegan. On two occasions, Defendant picked up the victim at school in the vehicle that he used to teach students to drive, drove her to a motel, and engaged in a "sexual act" with the victim. The State charged Defendant with two counts of gross sexual assault under section 253(2)(F), under which a person is guilty if he engages in a sexual act with a student and the actor is a "teacher, employee or other official having instructional, supervisory or disciplinary authority over the student." The trial court concluded that Defendant was an "other official" of the high school and convicted him of both charges. The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed, holding that the evidence was sufficient to support the lower court's findings. View "State v. Marquis" on Justia Law

The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment entered by the superior court determining ownership and land use rights in intertidal land bordering Penobscot Bay, holding that the disputed land belonged to Jeffrey Mabee and Judith Grace under the plain language of the relevant deeds.Nordic Aquafarms Inc. negotiated an agreement with Richard and Janet Eckrote to bury industrial pipes in the intertidal land located between the Eckrotes' upland property and Penobscot Bay. During the ensuing trial, the City bought the Eckrotes' property and was granted intervenor status. Mabee and Grace jointly owned property near the Eckrotes' property and claimed that they owned not only the intertidal land abutting their own upland property but also the intertidal land abutting the upland properties of the Eckrotes. The superior court concluded that Mabee and Grace failed to establish title to the intertidal land abutting the Eckrotes' upland properties. The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment, holding (1) the governing deed conveying land did not include the intertidal land that was eventually conveyed to Mabee and Grace; and (2) Mabee and Grace held an enforceable servitude over the Eckrotes' upland. View "Mabee v. Nordic Aquafarms, Inc." on Justia Law

The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed in part and vacated in part the judgment of the superior court dismissing Plaintiff's claims for abuse of process and wrongful use of civil proceedings, holding that the trial court erred in dismissing Plaintiff's claim for wrongful use of civil proceedings.Plaintiff sued three New York-based dentists and their dental practice (collectively, Defendants) asserting claims for abuse of process, wrongful use of civil proceedings, and punitive damages. Defendants filed a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim pursuant to Me. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). The trial court granted the motion. The Supreme Judicial Court reversed in part, holding that Plaintiff's complaint stated a claim for wrongful use of civil proceedings but not for abuse of process. View "Leighton v. Lowenberg" on Justia Law

The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the order of the superior court granting Stephen Witham's motion for an extension of time to file his notice of appeal and dismissed Witham's appeal as untimely, holding that Witham's notice of appeal was untimely.At issue was the decision of the Board of Trustees of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy adopting a hearing officer's recommended decision to revoke Witham's certificate of eligibility as a law enforcement officer. The superior court affirmed the decision. Witham filed a notice of appeal together with a motion for an extension of time to file a notice of appeal. The court granted Witham's motion for an extension. The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the order and dismissed Witham's appeal as untimely, holding that the lower court erred in granting Witham's motion for an extension under the circumstances. View "Witham v. Bd. of Trustees of Me. Criminal Justice Academy" on Justia Law

The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the order of the superior court affirming the decision of the Maine State Police (MSP) to withhold documents sought by Appellant pursuant to a Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) request, see Me. Rev. Stat. 1, 400-414, holding that the trial court correctly interpreted the FOAA.Appellant submitted a FOAA request to the MSP seeking several documents. The MSP denied his request as to certain documents but provided approximately 6,800 pages of requested materials in full. Appellant appealed, arguing that the superior court erred in determining that the records withheld by the MSP, including DNA contamination logs and quality assurance records, were confidential under state law. The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed, holding that the superior court did not err in (1) its creation of a factual record; and (2) determining that the MSP met its burden to show that the withheld records were confidential. View "Fairfield v. Maine State Police" on Justia Law

The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment of the district court dismissing Plaintiff's action for breach of contract and awarding Defendant attorney fees, holding that the district court abused its discretion.The parties in this case formerly lived together at a Saco residence. When they closed on the property the parties entered a contract where, in exchange for Plaintiff assuming responsibility for the down payment, Defendant agreed to assume a greater share of other expenses. Defendant later moved out of the property and filed a partition action, denying the existence of a contract. Plaintiff brought this action alleging breach of contract. On the same day, Plaintiff filed a motion to consolidate the parties' partition, and contract claims. The district court granted Defendant's motion to dismiss and awarded her attorney fees. The Supreme Judicial Court vacated the judgment below, holding (1) the district court abused its discretion by failing to consolidate the two actions; and (2) because Defendant never pleaded abatement, the district court erred in applying the remedy sua sponte. View "Indorf v. Keep" on Justia Law

The Supreme Judicial Court dismissed this appeal from a superior court order denying Appellants' Me. R. Civ. P. 80B petition seeking a review of the decision of the City of Portland to classify Appellants' proposed modification to the Portland City Charter, holding that the appeal was moot.At issue was the City's decision classify the modification to the Portland City Charter, proposed by Appellants - Fair Elections Portland, Inc. and ten individual voters - as a "revision" of, instead of an "amendment" to, the charter. The proposed modification, which would establish a public financing mechanism for city elections, was approved by voters in November 2022. The Supreme Judicial Court dismissed Appellants' appeal, holding that the appeal was moot and that none of the exceptions to the mootness doctrine applied. View "Fair Elections Portland, Inc. v. City of Portland" on Justia Law

The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Defendant's conviction for operating under the influence, entered upon Defendant's conditional guilty plea after the trial court denied his motion to suppress evidence obtained through a police officer's interactions with him in a convenience store parking lot, holding that the trial court did not err in denying Defendant's motion to suppress.Defendant moved on multiple grounds to suppress evidence obtained as a result of his interactions with the police officer, arguing that he was unlawfully seized based on an unreliable anonymous tip and was directed to perform field sobriety testing without given a chance to decline. The court denied the motion to suppress. Defendant then entered a conditional guilty plea to operating under the influence. The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed, holding that the officer did not violate the United States Constitution by conducting field sobriety tests under the circumstances of this case. View "State v. Wilcox" on Justia Law

The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the order of the Public Utilities Commission denying the petition of Maine Coalition to Stop Smart Meters for reconsideration of a previous order approving revised terms and conditions for the smart-meter opt-out program created by Central Maine Power (CMP), holding that there was no abuse of discretion.The revised terms and conditions of the smart-meter opt-out program at issue allowed CMP to install solid-state meters, which are smart meters with the transmitting function disabled, instead of electromechanical (analog) meters for opt-out customers. The Coalition filed a petition for reconsideration. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the Commission's finding that solid-state meters are safe was not supported by substantial evidence; and (2) the Commission's decision to approve the revised terms was not arbitrary or unreasonable, unjust, or unlawful and was supported by competent evidence in the record. View "Maine Coalition to Stop Smart Meters v. Public Utilities Comm'n" on Justia Law

The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Defendant's conviction for two counts of intentional or knowing murder but vacated Defendant's two concurrent life sentences and remanded the case for resentencing, holding that Defendant's sentences were improper.Specifically, the Supreme Judicial Court held that the trial court (1) committed harmless error in admitting evidence of the victim's intention to seek a protection order against Defendant; (2) did not commit obvious error by not, sua sponte, striking the prosecutorial argument in closing implying that Defendant had a burden of proof or by not delivering a limiting instruction; and (3) erred by improperly taking domestic violence into account when setting the basic term of imprisonment for the crimes because a consideration of domestic violence belongs only in the second step of the sentencing process when the court weighs aggravating and mitigating factors. View "State v. Penley" on Justia Law