This bill is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary to implement a recommendation of the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services. The committee has not taken a position on the substance of this bill. By reporting this bill out, the committee is not suggesting and does not intend to suggest that it agrees or disagrees with any aspect of this bill; instead, the committee is reporting the bill out for the sole purpose of having a bill printed that can be referred to the committee for an appropriate public hearing and subsequent processing in the normal course. The committee is taking this action to ensure clarity and transparency in the legislative review of the proposals contained in the bill. The bill repeals the provision of the Maine Bail Code making it a crime for a defendant to violate a condition of that defendant's release on preconviction or post-conviction bail. The bill does not, however, prevent a defendant from being charged with a crime, other than violation of conditional release, for criminal conduct that the defendant allegedly commits while on preconviction or post-conviction bail. The bill does not prevent a court from revoking or modifying the defendant's preconviction or post-conviction bail on the basis of the bail violation.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 1817, SP 709: 15.1023, 15.1026, 15.1092, 15.6203, 17-A.15, 17-A.207, 17-A.209, 17-A.210, 17-A.211, 17-A.1802, 25.6001