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Matthew Crockett in Marine Corps gear during his deployment to Iraq Cumberland County Courthouse, Newbury Street, Portland, Maine Lt. Colonel, U.S. Marine CorpsAl Anbar Province, Iraq2006 to 2007 Cumberland County Courthouse205 Newbury StreetPortland, Maine
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Portland OUI & Criminal Defense Attorney

Get a Marine Veteran Fighting for You Now

Your hands are still shaking. Your mind keeps racing through worst-case scenarios: your license, your job, what your family will think.

Matthew Crockett spent years as a prosecutor handling serious criminal cases before turning to criminal defense. Now he uses that same insider knowledge in Portland courtrooms to protect the people he represents. When you work with Matthew, you communicate directly with him. He picks up the phone at night. He answers your texts. You do not have to face this alone.

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  • Prosecutor, 10+ years
  • Lt. Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps
  • Marine Corps Prosecutor & Military Judge
  • Trial Advocacy Trainer
  • Adjunct Professor

The flashing lights in your mirror.

The phone call telling you a warrant is out.

The moment a police officer reads you your rights.

One Arrest, and Suddenly Nothing Feels Certain

However it happened, your world just narrowed down to one question: What happens next? You are picturing your license suspended, your job at risk, your family worried, and your name attached to a charge you never expected. The criminal process in Portland moves fast once charges are filed, and prosecutors build their cases whether you are ready or not. Waiting even a day to get real answers can cost you options you did not know you had, especially with strict deadlines tied to your future.

Where your case goes

Your route through the system.

Layout
Which of these is you?

  1. Arrest and booking

    The first hours set the tone. Say nothing about the case until you have talked to a lawyer.

  2. The BMV hearing

    A separate suspension clock. You generally have 10 days from the notice to request a hearing.

  3. First appearance

    Your first day in court. The charge is read, bail conditions are set, and a plea is entered.

  4. Discovery and motions

    The State turns over its evidence, and the weak points get challenged in writing before trial.

  5. Resolution

    Most cases end here: a dismissal, a reduced charge, or a negotiated outcome you understand.

  6. Trial

    If the State will not move, a jury hears the case. Matthew has tried cases from both tables.

Talk to Matthew for Free Now

Where your case goes

Your route through the system.

Layout
Which of these is you?

  1. Arrest and booking

    The first hours set the tone. Say nothing about the case until you have talked to a lawyer.

  2. The BMV hearing

    A separate suspension clock. You generally have 10 days from the notice to request a hearing.

  3. First appearance

    Your first day in court. The charge is read, bail conditions are set, and a plea is entered.

  4. Discovery and motions

    The State turns over its evidence, and the weak points get challenged in writing before trial.

  5. Resolution

    Most cases end here: a dismissal, a reduced charge, or a negotiated outcome you understand.

  6. Trial

    If the State will not move, a jury hears the case. Matthew has tried cases from both tables.

Talk to Matthew for Free Now

Where your case goes

Your route through the system.

Layout
Which of these is you?

  1. Arrest and booking

    The first hours set the tone. Say nothing about the case until you have talked to a lawyer.

  2. The BMV hearing

    A separate suspension clock. You generally have 10 days from the notice to request a hearing.

  3. First appearance

    Your first day in court. The charge is read, bail conditions are set, and a plea is entered.

  4. Discovery and motions

    The State turns over its evidence, and the weak points get challenged in writing before trial.

  5. Resolution

    Most cases end here: a dismissal, a reduced charge, or a negotiated outcome you understand.

  6. Trial

    If the State will not move, a jury hears the case. Matthew has tried cases from both tables.

Talk to Matthew for Free Now
Matthew Crockett in court presenting evidence as a prosecutor
Presenting evidence as a prosecutor. He has stood at both tables.

Introducing Matthew Crockett

Meet a Portland Criminal Defense Attorney Who Knows How Prosecutors Think

Matthew Crockett spent over a decade prosecuting major felony cases, including homicide and child abuse cases, before he ever represented someone accused of a crime. He also served as a Marine Corps prosecutor and military judge as a Lieutenant Colonel, with assignments at Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton and a combat deployment to Iraq. That background means Matthew has watched investigators build cases from the inside, and he knows exactly where those cases fall apart. Clients describe him as steady under pressure, direct with bad news, and relentless when it counts. He does not disappear once you hire him. He answers your calls himself.

  • The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, Criminal Defense
  • National College for DUI Defense
  • Avvo attorney profile
  • Justia lawyer profile
  • Maine Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Services Overview

Portland OUI and Criminal Defense Lawyer

Matthew Crockett represents people in Portland and throughout Maine who are facing federal, state, or military criminal charges. He does not split his focus across family law or civil disputes. Criminal defense is the only work he does, which means your case gets his full attention.

OUI Defense

Fighting to protect your license, record, and freedom after an arrest.

Learn more

Criminal Defense

Defending against felony and misdemeanor charges throughout Maine.

Learn more

What Matthew does not handle: family law, divorce and custody, wills and estates, and civil lawsuits. If that is what you need, he will tell you quickly and point you elsewhere.

Charges in Maine

What am I facing?

Two quick answers. For OUI, Maine sets minimum penalties by prior offenses, test result, and a few aggravating facts. For every other charge, the class printed on your paperwork sets the ceiling. Courts decide within those limits, and your facts matter. General information, not legal advice.

Whatever the numbers say, the first move is the same: call Matthew before you talk to anyone else.

OUI: the floor the law starts from

Minimum penalties by prior offenses, test result, and aggravating facts.

OUI convictions in the last 10 years
Test result
Anything else true?
License suspension
150 days
Court minimum for a first offense
Minimum fine
$500
Minimum, before fees and surcharges
Mandatory jail
None
No mandatory jail at this level

Two clocks run at once. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles suspension is separate from the criminal case, and you generally have 10 days from the notice to request a hearing.

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Figures reflect Maine statutory minimums for operating under the influence and change with the law. This tool does not evaluate your case.

Any other charge: what the class means

Maine grades crimes from Class A to Class E. The class is on your summons, complaint, or bail paperwork.

Class of the charge
Category
Misdemeanor
Classes D and E
Maximum prison
364 days
Ceiling set by statute
Maximum fine
$2,000
Before fees and surcharges

Often charged at this class: first OUI, domestic violence assault, theft between $500 and $1,000

The class is a ceiling, not a prediction. Where a case lands inside it depends on the facts, your record, and the work done before anyone talks about a plea. Murder is graded on its own and carries 25 years to life.

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Maximums reflect Maine's sentencing classes under Title 17-A and change with the law. This tool does not evaluate your case.

Presenting the Plan

You Do Not Have to Face This Alone

One phone call starts everything. Matthew reviews what happened, explains what you are actually facing, and lays out a strategy in language you can understand, not legal jargon you have to decode on your own.

  1. Step one

    Call our Portland office for a free consultation about your charges, day or night.

  2. Step two

    Sit down with Matthew and get honest answers about what you are facing and why.

  3. Step three

    Move forward with a defense attorney who treats your case like it matters, because it does.

Talk to Matthew for Free Nowor call (207) 200-5958

A Prosecutor Turned Defender

A Marine Veteran Who Does Not Back Down

Matthew Crockett moved from Connecticut to Maine in 2020 after prosecuting major felony cases for over a decade and serving as a Marine Corps prosecutor and military judge. He served on Maine's indigent defense panel for serious felony appointments and belongs to the National College for DUI Defense, the Maine Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Veteran clients often tell Matthew they hired him because he understands what they carry, on and off the battlefield. He is not just your attorney. He is your teammate.

Get to Know Matthew

Matthew Crockett during his Marine Corps deployment to Iraq
Al Anbar Province, Iraq, 2006 to 2007.
Matthew Crockett on deployment in Iraq
Matthew Crockett with a working dog in Iraq

Why the First Call Matters

The System Keeps Moving. Your Side of It Should Too.

  1. Evidence gets challenged early, when it matters most.

    If you wait

    Statements made without counsel become the State's best evidence.

  2. Your license, your job, and your record are protected wherever possible.

    If you wait

    Administrative deadlines, like license hearings, pass quietly.

  3. You learn about options you did not know existed.

    If you wait

    Plea offers arrive before you understand what you are giving up.

  4. Someone who knows your name answers when you call.

    If you wait

    Decisions about your life get made for you.

Case Results

Client names and identifying details withheld. Every case is different; past results do not guarantee a future outcome.

  • 2024State of Maine jury trial
    Hung jury; reduced to manslaughter

    Murder

    Client faced a murder conviction and over 35 years in prison. Jury deadlocked for days, resulting in a mistrial. The State agreed to a reduced charge of manslaughter after trial.

  • 2021State of Maine
    Dismissed

    Gross sexual assault

    Client faced 30 years in prison. After investigation by the defense, the State dismissed the case.

  • 2026Federal court
    53-month sentence

    Federal drug distribution and illegal firearm sales

    Client faced 262 to 327 months after pleading guilty. Successfully argued for a substantial variance.

  • 2022State of Maine
    18-month sentence

    Aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs

    Client faced 30 years with a 4-year mandatory minimum. Convinced the Court to find a safety valve exception.

  • 2025State of Maine
    Dismissed

    OUI with crash

    Hired an expert to show the suspected impairment was a seizure from an undiagnosed medical condition.

Testimonials

What Clients Say About Working With Matthew

  • I called on a Sunday night expecting voicemail. Matthew picked up, and by Monday I understood exactly what I was facing.OUI client, Cumberland County
  • He never talked down to me. He laid out the options, told me what he would do, and then let me decide.Felony client, federal court
  • As a veteran, I knew he would get it. He did. He treated my case like it was the only one he had.Veteran, OUI client

You Have Rights. Have a Marine Veteran Protect Them.

Whatever brought you here, an OUI stop, a warrant, or a charge you never saw coming, you need someone on your side. Matthew Crockett spent years learning how prosecutors build cases, and now he uses that knowledge to protect people across Portland, Maine. Reach out today. Your consultation is free, your call stays confidential, and taking the first step starts with a phone call.

Matthew returns calls and messages himself, usually within 24 hours.
92 Auburn Street, Portland

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