Criminal Appeal Brief - Maine
CRIMINAL APPEAL BRIEF
STATE OF MAINE
SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT (LAW COURT)
Docket No. [____]-[________]
STATE OF MAINE
v.
[DEFENDANT FULL NAME]
ON APPEAL FROM THE [________________] SUPERIOR / UNIFIED CRIMINAL COURT
[________________] COUNTY
DOCKET NO. [________________]
BRIEF OF [APPELLANT / APPELLEE]
Submitted by:
[ATTORNEY NAME], Maine Bar No. [________]
[FIRM NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[CITY], Maine [ZIP]
Telephone: [________________]
Email: [________________]
Attorney for [APPELLANT / APPELLEE]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Section | Page |
|---|---|
| Table of Authorities | [__] |
| Statement of Issues Presented for Review | [__] |
| Statement of the Case | [__] |
| Statement of Facts | [__] |
| Standard of Appellate Review | [__] |
| Argument | [__] |
| Conclusion | [__] |
| Certificate of Service | [__] |
| Appendix | [__] |
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
Cases
| Case | Page(s) |
|---|---|
| [________________________________] | [__] |
| [________________________________] | [__] |
| [________________________________] | [__] |
Statutes
| Authority | Page(s) |
|---|---|
| 17-A M.R.S. § [____] | [__] |
| 15 M.R.S. § [____] | [__] |
| [________________________________] | [__] |
Rules
| Authority | Page(s) |
|---|---|
| Me. R. App. P. [____] | [__] |
| M.R. Evid. [____] | [__] |
STATEMENT OF ISSUES PRESENTED FOR REVIEW
Issue 1: [________________________________]
Standard of Review: [________________________________]
Issue 2: [________________________________]
Standard of Review: [________________________________]
Issue 3: [________________________________]
Standard of Review: [________________________________]
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
The defendant, [DEFENDANT NAME], was charged by [information / indictment] with [COUNT(S) AND OFFENSE(S)] in violation of 17-A M.R.S. § [SECTION(S)].
On [DATE], [a jury / the court] found the defendant [guilty / not guilty] of [CHARGE(S)]. (App. [__])
On [DATE], the trial court sentenced the defendant to [SENTENCE DESCRIPTION]. (App. [__])
A notice of appeal was timely filed on [DATE] pursuant to Me. R. App. P. 2 and 15 M.R.S. § 2115. (App. [__])
STATEMENT OF FACTS
[________________________________]
STANDARD OF APPELLATE REVIEW
[________________________________]
ARGUMENT
I. [ISSUE HEADING]
[________________________________]
II. [ISSUE HEADING]
[________________________________]
III. [ISSUE HEADING]
[________________________________]
CONCLUSION
WHEREFORE, [Appellant / Appellee] respectfully requests that this Court:
☐ Vacate the conviction and remand for a new trial
☐ Vacate the sentence and remand for resentencing
☐ Reverse the judgment of conviction and enter a judgment of acquittal
☐ [Other specific relief: ________________________________]
Respectfully submitted,
___________________________________________
[ATTORNEY NAME], Maine Bar No. [________]
[FIRM NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[CITY], Maine [ZIP]
Telephone: [________________]
Email: [________________]
Attorney for [APPELLANT / APPELLEE]
Date: [__/__/____]
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on [DATE], [ten (10)] copies of the foregoing Brief of [Appellant / Appellee] were filed with the Clerk of the Law Court and [two (2)] copies were served upon the following by [hand delivery / U.S. Mail / electronic means]:
[OPPOSING COUNSEL NAME]
[OFFICE / FIRM]
[ADDRESS]
[CITY], Maine [ZIP]
___________________________________________
[ATTORNEY NAME]
APPENDIX
☐ Docket entries from the trial court
☐ Judgment of conviction and sentence
☐ Relevant trial court orders
☐ Relevant portions of the transcript
☐ [Additional materials: ________________________________]
MAINE-SPECIFIC NOTES
- Appellate Court: All criminal appeals go to the Law Court (Supreme Judicial Court sitting as appellate court). 4 M.R.S. § 57.
- Time to Appeal: Notice of appeal must be filed within 21 days of judgment. Me. R. App. P. 2(b)(1).
- Briefing Deadlines: Appellant's brief due 40 days after the clerk sends notice that the record is complete. Me. R. App. P. 7A(f).
- Brief Length: Principal briefs may not exceed 50 pages without leave. Me. R. App. P. 7A(g).
- Preservation Requirement: Issues not raised below are generally not preserved, except for obvious error review under Me. R. App. P. 2(b)(4).
- Sentence Review: Maine has a Sentence Review Panel (15 M.R.S. § 2141 et seq.) for sentences of one year or more; this is a separate process from direct appeal.
- Copies: File 10 copies with the Clerk; serve 2 copies on each opposing party.
About this template
- Last updated
- April 2, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Maine
- Category
- Criminal Law
Legal authority
- Me. R. App. P. 2 (Appeals from Judgments and Orders)
- Me. R. App. P. 7A (Briefs: Form and Content)
- Me. R. App. P. 7B (Appendix to Brief)
- 15 M.R.S. § 2115 (Appeals in Criminal Cases)
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
The statutes this template relies on are listed under Legal authority.
Draft your Criminal Appeal Brief in the editor
Answer a few questions, let the AI editor draft each section from your answers, review it, and download Word and PDF. Pro includes every other template and app on Ezel. $249 per month, cancel anytime.