Local Rule Rule 3: Commencement of Action
D. Me. — Civil rule
Rule 3 Commencement of Action The District of Maine is one federal judicial district with courthouses in Bangor and Portland:
(a) Electronic Filing Case opening documents must be filed electronically by emailing them to the Court at MaineECFIntake@med.uscourts.gov, unless the filing party is exempt. Parties must follow the rules for electronic filing in Appendix B.
(b) Filing Fee The filing fee must be paid to the Clerk upon filing the complaint. To determine the amount of the fee, check the Court's website. A party seeking to file in forma pauperis under 28 U.S.C. § 1915 must file with the complaint a motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis accompanied by an affidavit explaining in detail why the party is not able to pay the filing fee.
(c) Civil Cover Sheet All complaints must be accompanied by a completed civil cover sheet form, which is available on the Court's website, https://www.med.uscourts.gov/forms.
(d) Requests for Immediate Relief If the complaint, motion, or other filing seeks immediate relief, the title of the document must state "Request for Immediate Relief."
(e) Corporate Disclosure Statement All non-governmental entities must file a notice of corporate disclosure that complies with Local Rule 7.1 with their first appearance in a case.
(f) Notice of Constitutional Question If the complaint or pleading seeks a ruling that an Act of Congress or a state statute is unconstitutional, the filer must notify the Court by filing a separate pleading under Local Rule 5.1 entitled "Notice of Constitutional Question."
(g) Judicial Assignments New cases will be assigned randomly to an available judge who is not recused from hearing the case. Appeals from the decisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and cases referred from the courts in New Hampshire and Rhode Island will also be assigned randomly to the available judges.
(h) Location and Venue Cases generally will be tried in Portland or Bangor depending on which location is appropriate. Cases in which venue is proper in the counties of Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, and Washington will ordinarily be tried in Bangor. Cases in which venue is proper in the counties of Androscoggin, Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Sagadahoc, and York will ordinarily be tried in Portland. Knox County cases brought by inmates at the Maine State Prison in Warren will ordinarily be tried in Bangor.
(i) Complaints in Social Security Cases Complaints filed in civil cases under Section 205(g) of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 405(g), for benefits under the Social Security Act must use the form provided in Appendix C.