Maine court shutdown scheduled next week

BANGOR – Maine’s courtrooms will be closed next week to all but emergency matters to allow judges and court clerks to catch up on overdue paperwork.

Courthouses around the state will open to the public at noon, instead of 8 a.m.

The semiannual shutdown has become routine the past two years as a cost-saving measure while the court system makes do with about 25 vacant positions in a statewide work force of 380 people.

In addition to the courtrooms being idle, court clerk window shutters will be closed until noon throughout the week, and clerks will not answer the telephone.

Instead, clerks will be checking files to make sure everything that was supposed to be recorded has been, that warrants are up to date and that fines are being paid according to court orders.

The last shutdown was in September.