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Committee on Media and the Courts
Type: Standing Committee
Established: February 26, 2007
Revised: March 27, 2017
Chair: Justice William Stokes
Reports to: Supreme Judicial Court
I. Establishment of the Committee on Media and Courts
A committee designated by the Supreme Judicial Court shall act as the Committee on Media and the Courts. The Chair and members of the Committee shall be appointed by members of the Supreme Judicial Court. The regular terms of membership on the Committee shall be three years, and no member shall serve more than three successive terms or until the appointment of their successor.
Five members of the Committee shall be representatives of the media, four shall be members of the judiciary, three shall be attorneys licensed to practice in Maine, one shall be a District or Superior Court clerk, other stakeholders as ordered by the Chief Justice, and serving in an ex officio capacity, the Attorney General, or designee, and the Judicial Branch Government and Media Counsel.
II. Committee Purpose
The purpose of the Committee shall be to facilitate and improve communication between the judiciary and the media and to enhance the accuracy and flow of information made available to the public concerning the courts of Maine. The Committee shall from time to time make recommendations to the Supreme Judicial Court on matters pertaining to media coverage of court proceedings.
III. Coordination and Cooperation with the United States District Court
The Committee shall invite the participation of the United States District Court in its efforts to enhance the accuracy and flow of information made available to the public concerning the courts of Maine.
IV. Frequency of meetings
One meeting shall be held per year, unless the Committee decides by majority vote to hold additional meetings.
V. Quorum and action
A quorum shall exist for the purpose of the Committee’s exercise of its powers and duties when a majority of the members is present. The concurrence of a majority of such members present shall be sufficient for any action taken.
Dated: March 27, 2017
Approved by:
Chief Justice Leigh I. Saufley
Maine Supreme Judicial Court
Membership Roster
Updated May 4, 2023
Until December 18, 2022
Dan MacLeod, Bangor Daily News
Judy Meyer, Sun Journal, Kennebec Journal, and Morning Sentinel
Susan Sharon, Maine Public Broadcasting Network
Until July 24, 2023
Maeghan Maloney, Kennebec County District Attorney
Until December 31, 2023
Roger Katz, Esq., Lipman Katz & Boston
Until January 15, 2024
Judge Charles Dow, Maine District Court
Francine Stark, Executive Director of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence
Melissa Martin, Public Policy and Legal Director, Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Until February 14, 2024
Tina Heather Nadeau, Esq., Maine Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Until March 26, 2024
Justice Robert Murray, Maine Superior Court
Until September 1, 2025
Justice William Stokes (Chair)
Brooke Otis, Clerk of Courts, Waldo Judicial Center
ex officio:
Attorney General, or designee – Laura Yustak, AAG
Barbara Cardone, Director of Legal Affairs and Public Relations
JUDICIAL LIAISON
Associate Justice Wayne R. Douglas, Supreme Judicial Court