This bill:

1. Broadens the definition of "assigned justice" in the Maine Revised Statutes, section 2121, subsection 1-A to include a judge of the District Court who has been given authorization to sit in the Superior Court on post-conviction review cases;

2. Amends section 2123, subsection 1-A to allow a judge of the District Court who has been given authorization to sit in the Superior Court on post-conviction review cases to exercise the same jurisdiction as the Superior Court Justice relative to post-conviction review proceedings;

3. Corrects a current inconsistency between section 2129, subsection 3 and section 2129, subsection 1, paragraph C created by the 1991 amendment to subsection 3, Public Law 1991, chapter 622, Part D. Specifically, it replaces the reference in paragraph C to the Attorney General with a reference to the prosecutorial office that earlier represented the State in the underlying criminal or juvenile proceeding. Subsection 3 provides that representation of the respondent can be either the office of the Attorney General or the office of a district attorney;

4. Repeals section 2129, subsection 2 that requires that the procedure for the assignment of a post-conviction review case be addressed pursuant to an administrative order by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. With its repeal, the assignment of petitions for post-conviction review becomes a matter to be addressed by the Supreme Judicial Court by rule as provided for in section 2129, subsection 5; and

5. Makes technical drafting changes to section 2129, subsection 5.