--- title: "Nancy Mills | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/nancy-mills-justice-maine-superior-court-me" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Nancy Mills Maine Superior Court · Justice ## Profile - Court: Maine Superior Court - State: Maine - Role: Justice - Service status: senior - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Earlier work included assistant district attorney service in Prosecutorial District IV and Wright & Mills practice - Initially aspiring to be a horse racing jockey, she shifted to law, beginning her career in private practice at Wright & Mills and serving as an assistant district attorney in Prosecutorial District IV - Mills, alongside Justice Roland Cole, is credited with transforming Maine’s criminal justice system by founding alternative court tracks that divert vulnerable populations—those with addiction or mental illness—from incarceration ### Education - It records Connecticut College anthropology study/degree 1972, Michigan State study 1978 - Michigan State University, undergraduate degree - University of Maine School of Law — J.D. ### Additional information - Began her judicial service on the Maine District Court in 1991 and joined the Cumberland County Superior Court in 1993, where she served until her retirement on December 31, 2019 - The collected biographical information identifies Nancy D. Mills as a Maine Superior Court justice appointed by John McKernan in 1993 and retired in 2019, after District Court appointment in 1991 - The biography describes her Kennebec co-occurring disorders court in 2004, a related veterans program and a 2018 Cumberland committee addressing prolonged detention of defendants with serious mental illness - Maine Law JD 1982 - It records Maine, Massachusetts and federal District of Maine admissions in 1982 and identifies her as Janet Mills’s sister-in-law - Admitted to the bar in 1982 - Among her notable cases, Mills presided over the sentencing of Christopher Knight, the Maine “hermit,” emphasizing rehabilitation and mental health counseling as part of his reintegration into society - Her initiatives inspired other judges, such as Michaela Murphy, to implement similar mental health dockets - Even after retirement, Mills has continued to contribute part-time to these initiatives pending confirmation for part-time service Nancy Mills is widely respected for her leadership, fairness, and dedication to integrating mental health considerations into the judicial process, leaving a lasting impact on Maine’s court system - She set aside two days per month to review cases involving serious mental health concerns and convened the “languishing committee”, a group of criminal justice and mental health officials, to coordinate treatment and expedite case resolution ## 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 ### cameras audio recording Scope: statewide Maine Administrative Order JB-05-15 bars cameras and audio recording equipment in the courtroom unless coverage has been authorized under the order. Evidence excerpt: No cameras or audio recording equipment shall be allowed in the courtroom unless coverage of any events or proceeding has been authorized pursuant to this order. [JB-05-15 Cameras and Audio Recording in the Courts](https://www.courts.maine.gov/adminorders/jb-05-15.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### judicial discretion Scope: statewide Maine authorizes trial and appellate judicial officers to consider camera and recording coverage and permit it in their sole discretion if court integrity will not be adversely affected. Evidence excerpt: authorized to consider camera and recording coverage, and to permit it in their sole discretion if the integrity of the court proceedings will not be adversely affected. [JB-05-15 Cameras and Audio Recording in the Courts](https://www.courts.maine.gov/adminorders/jb-05-15.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/superior/justices.html) - [Official roster](https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/superior/justices.html) - [State of Maine Judicial Branch official judicial roster](https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/superior/justices.html) - [JB-05-15 Cameras and Audio Recording in the Courts](https://www.courts.maine.gov/adminorders/jb-05-15.pdf) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/nancy-mills-justice-maine-superior-court-me", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/nancy-mills-justice-maine-superior-court-me", "name": "Nancy Mills | KnowJudges", "description": "Nancy Mills, Maine Superior Court. 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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.courts.maine.gov/rules/text/mr_civ_p_only_2026-06-01.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [JB-05-15 Cameras and Audio Recording in the Courts](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-2090a1c278960f4443c4a460) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://www.courts.maine.gov/adminorders/jb-05-15.pdf). Collected 2026-07-26.