On Friday, March 27, 2026, The Piscataquis Observer reported that the Maine state Senate rejected a bill aimed at establishing direct state oversight of probate judges on March 26. This decision means that probate judges in Maine will continue to operate as part-time elected county officials with limited oversight.

The rejected legislation followed increased scrutiny of Hancock County’s suspended probate judge, William B. Blaisdell IV, who faced suspension for contempt of court due to unpaid child support in his divorce case. Earlier in March, an arrest warrant was issued for Blaisdell after he failed to appear at a hearing in Waldo County, where his divorce case was being handled. Blaisdell later turned himself in on March 17 and was released after posting $16,929 bail, which covered the amount of child support he owed. Despite these issues, Blaisdell remains under suspension but has not been removed from office and is still listed as Hancock County’s probate judge on the county’s website.

Mark Brewer, who chairs the University of Maine’s political science department, highlighted that the Blaisdell case exposed a weakness in the state’s selection process for part-time probate judges, noting that these positions often attract little public attention due to low-profile elections. Concerns have also been raised regarding the fact that part-time probate judges in Maine are allowed to continue working as private lawyers, setting them apart from other state judges and exempting them from certain aspects of the state’s judicial code of conduct.

Democratic Sen. Joe Baldacci of Bangor, commenting on the bill, stated that it would have empowered the judiciary to better oversee such situations, particularly referencing Blaisdell’s case. Baldacci also noted that the bill aimed to “professionalize and standardize” Maine’s probate system, which currently operates independently of the state’s judicial branch.

The bill narrowly failed in the state Senate on March 24, after passing in the House the following day. A second Senate vote also failed, effectively killing the bill. Maine’s judicial branch is not authorized to remove elected judges from office but can recommend their dismissal to the Legislature. Under the Maine Constitution, removing a probate judge requires either impeachment or a formal address to the governor, neither of which has ever been used.

Deidre Smith, the director of litigation at Pine Tree Legal Assistance, supports making probate judges full-time, appointed state officials. Smith believes that the roles of a judge and an attorney are incompatible and that part-time judges may face conflicts of interest. She cited instances where judges used their judicial authority to benefit a client.

Maine’s probate court system has been in its current form since 1855, with probate judges elected at the county level. Although voters approved an amendment in 1967 to restructure probate courts with full-time judges, this change has not been implemented. Reform efforts have been hindered by the cost of incorporating the probate court system into the Maine Judiciary. Each Maine county has one part-time probate judge, as there are generally not enough probate matters to justify a full-time judge in every county.

 

 

Source: The Piscataquis Observer