Legislative History
September 24, 1789 1 Stat. 73 |
The Judiciary Act of 1789 organized Maine, then a part of Massachusetts, as one judicial district and authorized one judgeship for the U.S. district court. The district court in Maine, not being assigned to a judicial circuit, was granted the same jurisdiction as U.S. circuit courts, except in appeals and writs of error, which were the jurisdiction of the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Massachusetts. |
February 13, 1801 2 Stat. 89 |
The Judiciary Act of 1801 reorganized the federal judiciary into six circuits and included the district of Maine in the First Circuit. The act repealed the circuit court jurisdiction of the U.S. district court in Maine and required the three circuit judges to hold two annual sessions of the U.S. circuit court in the district of Maine. |
March 8, 1802 2 Stat. 132 |
The repeal of the Judiciary Act of 1801 restored the judicial organization in effect before 1801, thereby removing the district of Maine from a judicial circuit and restoring to the Maine district court the trial jurisdiction of the U.S. circuit court. When Congress reorganized the judiciary in April 1802, it did not include the district of Maine in one of the new judicial circuits. |
March 30, 1820 3 Stat. 554 |
Passed shortly after Maine entered the Union, this act assigned the district of Maine to the First Circuit and required two U.S. circuit courts to be held in the district every year. The act also repealed the circuit court jurisdiction of the U.S district court in Maine. |
October 20, 1978 92 Stat. 1629 |
One additional judgeship authorized. |
December 1, 1990 104 Stat. 5089 |
One additional judgeship authorized. |
Authorized Judgeships
1789
|
1
|
1978
|
2
|
1990
|
3
|
For additional information, see District of Maine's Court History or Federal Judicial Center's History of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine.