Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 15 Sec. 2116

  • Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
  • Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • United States: includes territories and the District of Columbia. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
Whenever any federal court finds that a prisoner in any penal institution in this State has been deprived of any of the rights guaranteed to him by the Constitution of the United States before, at or after his trial, so that the judgment or sentence or both are erroneous and said court holds the case on its docket pending corrective action by the proper state official, the Attorney General may act as follows. He may file a petition in the Superior Court of the county where the prisoner was tried and convicted in term time or with any justice of said court in vacation, setting forth the petition of the prisoner to the federal court and the decision of that court, and the Superior Court of conviction or any justice thereof in vacation shall then recall the judgment and sentence held erroneous and order it stricken from the records of said court and shall set the prisoner down for trial if in term time or bind him over to the next criminal term in said county if in vacation, after setting his bail. If the sentence only is erroneous, the Superior Court of the county of conviction in term time or any justice thereof in vacation, on presentation of the Attorney General’s petition, shall recall the erroneous sentence and order it stricken from the records and shall, in term time or in vacation, sentence the prisoner anew in accordance with the indictment against said prisoner.