Judicial Branch Warns of Court-related Scams

Date: 1/16/2024

The Maine Judicial Branch has become aware of a scam being perpetrated on the public. The scammer, posing as a law enforcement officer, telephones a person, asking for them by name. They tell the person that they had been summoned for jury duty today (a falsehood) and because of their failure to show up for jury duty, a judge has ordered them to pay a penalty, or pay for a bond. The scammer may even email the person an altered copy of a jury summons that has the person's name on it. Some scammers refer to federal jury duty, and some refer to state jury duty. They usually pose as someone from a county sheriffs office.

No person summoned for jury duty in a Maine state court will ever receive a telephone call from law enforcement requiring them to pay money. Also, county sheriffs offices and local law enforcement do not make calls regarding federal jury service. If you receive such a call, please do not pay any money. You should hang up and call the police.

If someone is concerned that they may have missed a date on a jury summons, please contact the clerks office in the Superior Court of the county in which you live to check whether you have been summoned for jury duty. The names, addresses and telephone numbers of the Superior Courts in Maine are listed on the Maine Judicial Branch public website.

Barbara A. Cardone
Director of Legal Affairs and Public Relations
207-213-2803
barbara.cardone@courts.maine.gov