Criminal Appeal Brief - Maine
BRIEF OF [APPELLANT / APPELLEE]
Before filing: Confirm the Rule 2B notice deadline, the Clerk's Rule 7 briefing schedule, and the Rule 7A length limit. File the brief electronically and serve the other parties when filed; within seven days after Clerk approval, file ten printed copies and serve one printed copy on each other party under Rule 7(c). File the appendix separately under Rule 8. Remove this note before filing.
| Party | Role |
|---|---|
| State of Maine | Appellee / Appellant |
| v. | |
| [DEFENDANT FULL NAME] | Appellant / Appellee |
Supreme Judicial Court sitting as the Law Court
Law Court docket number: [________________]
On appeal from: [DISTRICT / SUPERIOR] Court, [COUNTY] County
Trial court docket number: [________________]
Attorney for [APPELLANT / APPELLEE]: [NAME], Maine Bar No. [____], [ADDRESS], [PHONE], [EMAIL]
Table of contents
| Section | Page |
|---|---|
| Table of authorities | [__] |
| Statement of facts and procedural history | [__] |
| Issues presented | [__] |
| Argument | [__] |
| Conclusion | [__] |
Table of authorities
| Authority | Page(s) |
|---|---|
| [CASE / STATUTE / RULE] | [__] |
| [CASE / STATUTE / RULE] | [__] |
| [CASE / STATUTE / RULE] | [__] |
Statement of facts and procedural history
[STATE THE CHARGES, PROCEEDINGS, RULINGS, JUDGMENT AND NOTICE OF APPEAL. SUPPORT EACH FACT WITH AN APPENDIX, TRANSCRIPT OR RECORD CITATION.]
[FACT AND RECORD CITATION: ________________________________]
[FACT AND RECORD CITATION: ________________________________]
Issues presented for review
- [ISSUE ONE]
- [ISSUE TWO, IF ANY]
Argument
I. [ISSUE ONE HEADING]
Standard of review: [STATE THE STANDARD AND CITE AUTHORITY]
Preservation or basis for review: [CITE THE OBJECTION AND RECORD; IF UNPRESERVED, EXPLAIN ANY RULE 52(b) OBVIOUS-ERROR THEORY]
[LEGAL ARGUMENT WITH AUTHORITIES AND RECORD CITATIONS]
II. [ISSUE TWO HEADING, IF ANY]
Standard of review: [STATE THE STANDARD AND CITE AUTHORITY]
Preservation or basis for review: [RECORD CITATION OR EXPLANATION]
[LEGAL ARGUMENT WITH AUTHORITIES AND RECORD CITATIONS]
Conclusion
For the reasons stated, [APPELLANT / APPELLEE] requests that the Law Court [STATE PRECISE RELIEF SOUGHT].
Respectfully submitted,
Signature: [________________________________]
Name and Maine Bar number: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
Telephone and email: [________________________________]
Attorney for: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]
Certificate of service
I certify that on [__/__/____], I served this electronically filed brief on [NAME OF EACH OTHER PARTY OR COUNSEL] by [METHOD PER ME. R. APP. P. 1E].
Signature: [________________________________]
Name: [________________________________]
About this template
- Last updated
- October 17, 2026
- Citations checked
- October 17, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Maine
- Category
- Criminal Law
Legal authority
- Me. R. App. P. 2B(b) (criminal notice-of-appeal time)
- Me. R. App. P. 7(a)-(c) (briefing schedule and filing)
- Me. R. App. P. 7A(a), (f) (brief content and length)
- Me. R. App. P. 8 (appendix)
- 15 M.R.S. § 2111 (District Court defendant appeals)
- 15 M.R.S. § 2115 (Superior Court defendant appeals)
- M.R.U. Crim. P. 52(b) (obvious error)
Criminal law paperwork covers every stage of a criminal case, from the first appearance and bail motion through pretrial motions, plea agreements, sentencing, and appeals. Deadlines in criminal cases are short and often unforgiving, and constitutional rights can be waived just by missing a filing. Using the right motion at the right time can mean the difference between evidence getting suppressed, charges getting reduced, or a case getting dismissed entirely.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on October 17, 2026.
Me. R. App. P. 2B(b)(1) (checked October 17, 2026): "the time within which an appeal may be taken in a criminal case shall be 21 days after entry into the docket of the judgment or order appealed from, unless a shorter time is provided by law"
Me. R. App. P. 7(a)-(b) (checked October 17, 2026): "Upon determining that the record on appeal is complete, the Clerk of the Law Court shall promptly send to each counsel of record and each party that is not represented by counsel a written notice"
Me. R. App. P. 7(c) (checked October 17, 2026): "A brief must be filed electronically, on or before the date on which the brief is due, as provided in Rule 1D(c)"
Me. R. App. P. 7(c)(4) (checked October 17, 2026): "If the Clerk of the Law Court approves the electronically filed brief, the filer must file, within 7 days after the Clerk’s emailed approval, 10 printed copies of the brief"
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