Rule 55. Visiting Lawyers

(a) In General. Any member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of any other state or of the District of Columbia may at the discretion of the court, on motion by a member of the bar of this state who is actively associated with a member of such other bar in a particular action, be permitted to practice in that action. The court may at any time for good cause revoke such permission without hearing. An attorney so permitted to practice in a particular action shall at all times be associated in such action with a member of the bar of this state, upon whom all process, notices, and other papers shall be served and who shall sign all papers filed with the court and whose attendance at any proceeding may be required by the court.

(b) Appearances by Service Lawyers. With the written authorization (which may be general and not confined to a particular case) of the senior legal officer of any one of the armed services on active duty within the service district which includes this state, a member of the bar of any other state or of the District of Columbia on active duty with that armed service may appear in court in this state to represent, in defending against charges of Class D or Class E crimes, enlisted personnel on active duty of pay grades of E-4 and below who might not otherwise be able to afford proper legal assistance and who consent to such representation. A copy of each such written authorization by the senior legal officer shall be filed with the clerk of the Law Court.

Committee Notes

Committee Advisory Note [December 2014] The Rule parallels the content of Rule 55 of the Maine Rules of Criminal Procedure except that in subdivision (b) the capital letter "C" in the word "clerk" is changed to the lower case.

[Advisory Notes to former Maine Rules of Criminal Procedure]

Advisory Committee Note—1967 [M.R. Crim. P. 55.] Rule 61 is new and is exactly the same as recently adopted Maine Rule of Civil Procedure 89.

Advisory Committee Note—1987 [M.R. Crim. P. 55.] M.R. Crim. P. 61(a). The amendment makes clear that members of the bar of the District of Columbia may be admitted to practice pro hac vice in criminal cases and conforms the language of Rule 61(a) to that of its civil counterpart, M.R. Civ. P. 89(b). The amendment also adds a title to Rule 61(a). [M.R. Crim. P. 61(b).] The amendment recognizes the abolition of the felony-misdemeanor distinction by Maine's Criminal Code.

Advisory Committee Note—1989 [M.R. Crim. P. 55.] New Rule 55 contains the language of former Rule 61. The language of former Rule 55 is now found in Rule 53.