PROCEDURES FOR ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC COURT RECORDS

(A) Remote Access. Court records that are accessible by the public remotely may be inspected and reproduced at any time as permitted by these rules. Remote access to court records may require registration and the payment of fees as provided elsewhere in these rules, and any other procedures and payments that are reasonably necessary for administration of the system as determined by the Supreme Judicial Court. (B) Courthouse Access. All court records accessible by the public may be inspected and reproduced at a courthouse as follows: (1) Computer access. Members of the public may access a public access computer during regular courthouse business hours, subject to technical difficulties or system maintenance. The court clerk may set reasonable limits on the time and volume of access to the public access computer to protect the court clerk’s office from undue disruption and to promote equitable access. If more than one court user wishes to use a public access computer, fifteen minutes is a presumptively reasonable time limit. There is no fee to use the public access computer. A fee may be required for printouts of electronic court records from a public access computer as provided in Rule 14. (2) Request for assistance from the court clerk. Requests for help searching for and finding court records at a courthouse will be made at the court clerk’s office. Such requests will be handled administratively and will not require a court order. The court clerk may ask the requesting person to complete a written request for the court record. If a request does not provide information sufficient to identify the record sought, the court clerk may decline to provide the requested assistance. The court clerk may set reasonable limits on the time spent helping the public with court records requests to protect the court clerk’s office from undue disruption. Fifteen court records per day is a presumptively reasonable limit. (C) Access to Exhibits Submitted with Court Filings. Exhibits submitted with court filings that are accessible by the public under these rules and are included in the definition of court records under Rule 2(A)(17) may be 30 reproduced, subject to payment of fees and charges as provided in Rule 14. The rules do not address electronic access to trial and hearing exhibits because under Rule 34(C) trial and hearing exhibits are not part of the electronic case file even if filed electronically with the court. (D) Available Formats for Reproduction. (1) Printout. Court records that are accessible by the public under these rules may be printed subject to the payment of fees and charges as provided in Rule 14. (2) Audio or audiovisual recordings of public court Audio or audiovisual recordings of public court proceedings. proceedings that are received or maintained by the Maine Judicial Branch in electronic format in connection with a particular case or proceeding are accessible by the public only by court order, except as provided by law. A fee may be charged for access to or reproduction of audio or audiovisual recordings as provided in Rule 14. (3) Transcripts of public court proceedings. Transcripts of public court proceedings that are received or maintained by the Maine Judicial Branch in electronic format in connection with a particular case or proceeding are accessible by the public. A fee may be charged for access to transcripts, as provided in Rule 14. (E) Self-Service Duplication of a Court Record. Use of a smart phone or other electronic imaging device to duplicate or store copies of electronic court records is permitted, unless “inspection only” is the access level allowed. If “inspection only” is the only access allowed, no duplication of court records is permitted. Advisory Note – January 2026 Rule 9(E) is amended to allow the use of a smart phone or other electronic imaging device to duplicate electronic court records, except for documents that are accessible to the public only for inspection. 31