--- title: "George Z. Singal | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/george-z-singal" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # George Z. Singal U.S. District Court for the District of Maine · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the District of Maine - State: Maine - Role: Judge - Service status: senior - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Senior Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Maine – since July 31, 2013, after being appointed in 2000 by President Bill Clinton - Complaint justice, Bangor Maine District Court, 1974-present - Judge, U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court – appointed May 19, 2019, by Chief Justice John Roberts, serving until May 19, 2026 - Judge, District Court, D. Maine, 2000-2013 - Chief Judge of the District of Maine – 2003–2009 - Early Career: Private practice in Bangor, Maine (1970–2000) Assistant County Attorney, Penobscot County (1971–1973) Complaint justice in Bangor (1974) - Assistant county attorney, Penobscot County, ME, 1971-1973 - Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maine and has also served on the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) ### Education - Harvard University — J.D. (1970) - University of Maine — B.A. (1967) ### Additional information - Private practice, Bangor, ME, 1970-2000 - Born October 27, 1945. - Date of birth: 1945-01-01 - Birth place: Florence, Italy ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391201) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391201) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391201) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2978/george-z-singal/) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2978/george-z-singal/) - [Wikidata: George Z. Singal](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5546623) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/george-z-singal", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/george-z-singal", "name": "George Z. Singal | KnowJudges", "description": "George Z. Singal, U.S. District Court for the District of Maine. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-09", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/george-z-singal#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/george-z-singal#judge", "name": "George Z. Singal", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/george-z-singal", "jobTitle": "Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. District Court for the District of Maine" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391201", "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2978/george-z-singal/" ], "birthDate": "1945", "birthPlace": "Florence, Italy", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of Maine" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Harvard University" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Maine", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/maine" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "George Z. Singal", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/george-z-singal" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 0 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 2y | 0 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 5y | 65 | 64 | 4.8 | 64 | | 10y | 431 | 430 | 6.5 | 430 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.