Maine Criminal Code
Maine · Unconditional Discharge · §§ 1 to 19-A · 26 sections
Overview
This act sets out a jurisdiction's criminal code, opening with general provisions — definitions, the code's purposes, rules of construction, when an act or omission constitutes a crime, and how the code applies to conduct occurring before and after its enactment — while preserving pending proceedings and separate civil liabilities. Its substantive offenses center on the integrity of government and the administration of justice: perjury and unsworn falsification to authorities, impersonating public servants and peace officers, tampering with governmental records, physical evidence, witnesses, and jurors, bribing witnesses and jurors, misuse of the state seal and official identification cards, simulated and sham legal process, interference with judicial proceedings, and terrorist threats. It grades several of these offenses by degree and attaches related evidentiary and procedural rules, including a corroboration requirement for perjury convictions, a retraction bar, and limits on prosecutions built on inconsistent or self-exculpatory statements.
Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.
Sections covered
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 1Title; effective date; severability
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 2Definitions
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 3All crimes defined by statute; civil actions
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 4Classification of crimes in this Code
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 4-ACrimes and civil violations outside the code
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 4-BCivil violations
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 5Pleading and proof
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 6Application to crimes outside the code
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 7Territorial applicability
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 8Statute of limitations
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 9Indictment and jurisdiction
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 9-AAllegation of prior conviction when sentence enhanced
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 10Definitions of culpable states of mind
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 10-AJurisdiction over juveniles
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 11Requirement of culpable mental states; liability without culpability
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 12De minimis infractions
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 13Other offenses
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 13-AIncluded offenses
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 14Separate trials
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 15Warrantless arrests by a law enforcement officer
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 15-AIssuance of summons for criminal offense
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 16Warrantless arrests by a private person
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 17Enforcement of civil violations
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 18-1Homelessness crisis protocol
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 19Crimes involving minors
- Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 19-AElection to charge Class E crime as civil violation
Enacted in other states
Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
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