Committee recommends Andrew Lazotte for Maine District Court after unanimous vote

The Joint Standing Committee on the Judiciary voted 9–0 to recommend Andrew Lazotte of Dover‑Foxcroft for appointment to the Maine District Court.

Jerry Reed, counsel to the governor, presented Lazotte's record as an assistant U.S. attorney, his prior Legal Aid service and his promotion to civil chief in the U.S. Attorney's Office. Don Pelletier and multiple endorsers — including Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker and representatives of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association — urged confirmation. Judge Walker described Lazotte as "the real deal," and several speakers emphasized humility, courtroom skill and public‑service commitment.

Lazotte told the committee he values pro bono service and described his federal work, including multistate prosecutions and significant habeas corpus workload in recent months; he said the office worked to develop efficient responses and prioritize accurate filings. Members raised substantive questions about his district court experience and how he would transition to a court with broad jurisdiction and many pro se litigants; Lazotte described active self‑study, outreach to experienced judges and a commitment to learning new dockets.

The committee closed the hearing and took a roll call vote that recorded nine affirmative votes, zero negative votes and five absences; the chairs will forward the committee's recommendation to the President of the Senate under statutory procedure.