All people, no matter what their income, are entitled to fair and equal justice.
The Maine Indigent Defense Center first and foremost serves our clients. We bring a holistic approach to every criminal case, seeking to identify and address our clients’ legal and personal needs. Our holistic approach seeks to collaboratively address our clients’ problems outside the courtroom, which are the problems that often bring them into court in the first place. By addressing these issues we believe our clients are able to achieve better outcomes in and out of court.
The mission of MIDC is to ensure quality representation for Indigent Defendants in the criminal courts of Maine.
ABOUT MIDC
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 attorney Ruffner splits his time between representing individual clients and advocating for reform, often providing a critical voice at the legislature and other forums.
The information provided on this site is not intended to be legal advice. Each person and case is different and the information provided herein may or may not apply to your case.