Valerie Stanfill will become the next chief justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, following a unanimous note Thursday by the Maine State Senate.
Besides leading the state s top appellate court, Stanfill will oversee operations within the judicial branch. She will be the second woman to serve in the role after Leigh Saufley, who left the bench last year to become dean of the University of Maine School of Law. Justice Andrew M. Mead has served as acting chief justice since Saufley stepped down.
In a statement issued after Thursday s confirmation vote, Gov. Janet Mills said, “The unanimous vote to confirm Justice Stanfill is a recognition of her sharp intellect, vast legal experience, and commitment to administering justice fairly and impartially.
Senate confirms Valerie Stanfill as Maine s chief justice pressherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pressherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
UNE recognizes achievements of four Maine women with Deborah Morton Awards
The University of New England is pleased to announce the four newest members of the Deborah Morton Society. The award recognizes Maine women distinguished by their careers and public service, or whose leadership in civic, cultural, or social causes has been exceptional.
The 2020-2021 awardees are Linda Cross Godfrey, president of Atlantic Leadership Center; Nancy Grant, advancement officer of Portland Trails; Susan Hammond, executive director of Four Directions Development Corporation; and Janet Mills, governor of Maine.
The award celebrates the memory of UNE’s own distinguished Deborah Morton of Round Pond, Maine, valedictorian of the Class of 1879 of Westbrook Seminary, the forerunner of Westbrook College, which merged with the University of New England in 1996. After graduating, Morton served as a longtime faculty member at the seminary as a teacher, lecturer, reformer, and advocate for equal rights o
Committee unanimously endorses Stanfill for chief justice
June 1, 2021
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AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) The Maine Legislature s judiciary committee on Tuesday unanimously endorsed the governor s nominee to serve as chief justice.
The Joint Standing Committee on the Judiciary voted 12-0 to recommend confirmation of Justice Valerie Stanfill. The nomination now goes to the full Maine Senate for a vote.
If confirmed, Stanfill would become the second woman to serve as the state s chief justice.
The first woman to hold that post, Leigh Saufley, heaped praise on the woman who would succeed her, saying Stanfill “has a solid focus on the reality of justice as well as the logistics.”
Legislative committee supports nominee to be Maine’s chief justice
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A key legislative committee on Tuesday unanimously endorsed the governor’s nomination for the next chief justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.
Valerie Stanfill
Office of Gov. Janet Mills photo
If confirmed, Justice Valerie Stanfill would sit on the state’s top appellate court and oversee the complex operation of the Judicial Branch. She would succeed Chief Justice Leigh Saufley, who stepped down last year to become the dean of the University of Maine School of Law. Gov. Janet Mills announced her choice for the position last month, and the Judiciary Committee voted, 12-0, in support Tuesday. The nomination will next go to the Maine Senate, which will have the final vote.