APPROVED CHAPTER
MAY 29, 2025 124
BY GOVERNOR PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
S.P. 20 - L.D. 8
An Act Regarding the Term of Appointment of Judicial Officers
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 4 MRSA c. 2 is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 2
GENERAL PROVISIONS
§71. Term start date for judicial officers
The term of appointment of a judicial officer appointed pursuant to the Constitution of
Maine, Article V, Part First, Section 8 begins on the date that the judicial officer is sworn
into office.
§72. Inapplicability of Title 5, section 6 qualification requirements
The provisions of Title 5, section 6 do not apply to judicial officers appointed pursuant
to the Constitution of Maine, Article V, Part First, Section 8.
Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §6, as amended by PL 1991, c. 837, Pt. A, §7, is further amended
to read:
§6. Officials have 30 days to qualify
All public officers, other than judicial officers, appointed or renewed in accordance
with law shall, within 30 days after being commissioned, qualify to perform the duties of
their office and the certificate of qualification must be filed in the office of the Secretary of
State. Any officer who fails to qualify within 30 days and file a certificate of qualification
in the office of the Secretary of State within 45 days must be suspended by the Secretary
of State until the defect is corrected. During this suspension, the officer may be deemed to
have forfeited the appointment and the office may be declared vacant by the appointing
authority and a new appointment made.
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Statutes affected:
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 124: 5.6