Maine Revised Statutes Title 4 Sec. 171 – Duty on receipt of complaints
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Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 4 Sec. 171
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
- Town: includes cities and plantations, unless otherwise expressed or implied. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
When complaint is made to the proper officer of the District Court charging a person with the commission of a criminal offense, that officer shall issue a warrant for the person’s arrest or a summons in such form and under such circumstances as the Supreme Judicial Court may by rule provide. [RR 2021, c. 1, Pt. B, §5 (COR).]
The officer may, and on complaint shall, cause to be arrested persons found within the officer’s county or in an adjoining county under the conditions specified in the first paragraph of section 161 charged with offenses; and those having committed offenses therein or in an adjoining county who have escaped therefrom or from an adjoining county; and all persons charged with offenses and crimes, and all affrayers, rioters, breakers of the peace and violators of the law, and may require such offenders to find sureties for keeping the peace. [RR 2021, c. 1, Pt. B, §5 (COR).]
A district judge may try those brought before that judge for offenses within that judge’s jurisdiction, although the penalty or fine accrues wholly or partly to that judge’s town. [RR 2021, c. 1, Pt. B, §5 (COR).]
Warrants issued by the proper officer of the District Court in criminal cases must be signed by that officer at the time they are issued. [RR 2021, c. 1, Pt. B, §5 (COR).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1965, c. 356, §4 (RPR). PL 1965, c. 425, §4 (AMD). PL 1967, c. 434, §2 (AMD). PL 1975, c. 430, §7 (AMD). PL 1975, c. 731, §3 (AMD). PL 1979, c. 127, §14 (AMD). PL 1979, c. 663, §9 (RPR). PL 1987, c. 758, §3 (AMD). RR 2021, c. 1, Pt. B, §5 (COR).