Maine Indigent Defense Center is a criminal defense firm that exclusively accepts court-appointed criminal cases in Maine. MIDC attorneys employ a holistic approach to criminal defense, working collaboratively to address the underlying challenges clients face outside the courtroom—challenges that often contribute to their involvement in the criminal legal system. By addressing these issues, MIDC seeks to improve outcomes both in court and in the broader lives of its clients.

The Maine Indigent Defense Center was formed in December of 2007 when, amid cuts to funding for court appointed attorneys, attorney Ruffner saw the complete lack of any Indigent Defense system as well as the need for a voice for Indigent Defendants in Maine. In early 2008, Ruffner attended the Fourth Annual Summit on Indigent Defense Improvement: A national Forum for Bar and Indigent Defense Leaders, where he received a commitment from SCLAID to begin a study of the state of Indigent Defense in Maine. The study was conducted by the Spangenberg Group, was used by the Clifford Commission and led to the creation of the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services.

Today, MIDC splits time between representing individual clients, working with students, collaborating with other professionals in our community to work towards a fully holistic defense model, and advocating for reform by providing a critical voice at the legislature and other forums.

Indigent defense is not a discretionary government service—it is a constitutional obligation. When the State fails to ensure that individuals who cannot afford counsel are provided effective legal representation, the consequences are immediate and far-reaching for individuals, families, courts, and communities across Maine.

For the individuals directly affected, the consequences are particularly severe. Without adequate funding, many people charged with crimes will sit in jail for extended periods of time without access to counsel. These individuals are unable to meaningfully assert their rights, request bail review, investigate their cases, or move their matters forward in court. For many, this means the loss of employment, housing instability, separation from children and family members, and lasting financial and emotional harm—often before their cases have even been adjudicated. This could happen to any one of us.

An inadequate public defense system also harms communities as a whole. When people cannot obtain representation, cases cannot move forward efficiently. Court dockets slow, victims and families are left waiting for resolution, and judges are forced to manage increasingly unworkable caseloads. A justice system that cannot function effectively erodes public trust and undermines the rule of law that every community depends upon.

The mission of MIDC is to ensure quality representation for Indigent Defendants in the criminal courts of Maine. All people, no matter what their income, are entitled to fair and equal justice.