Maine Revised Statutes Title 17-A Sec. 2015 – Default
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1. Return to court. An offender who has been sentenced to make restitution and has defaulted in payment or service thereof must be returned to court to explain the failure to pay or perform the service.
[PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).]
Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 17-A Sec. 2015
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
- 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.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Offender: means an individual or an organization convicted of a crime. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17-A Sec. 2002
- Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
- Restitution: means :
A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17-A Sec. 2002Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
2. Reports. A probation officer having knowledge of a default in restitution by an offender shall report the default to the office of the attorney for the State. An attorney for the State having knowledge of a default in restitution by an offender shall report the default to the court. If the restitution was a condition of probation, the attorney for the State may file a motion to enforce payment of restitution or, with the written consent of the probation officer, a motion to revoke probation under section 1811. If the restitution was not a condition of probation, the attorney for the State may file a motion to enforce payment of restitution.
[PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).]
3. Motion to enforce payment of restitution. Either the attorney for the State or the court may initiate a motion to enforce payment of restitution. Notification for the hearing on the motion must be sent by regular mail to the offender’s last known address. If the offender does not appear for the hearing after proper notification has been sent, the court may issue a bench warrant.
A. Unless the offender shows by a preponderance of the evidence that the default was not attributable to an intentional or knowing refusal to obey the court’s order or to a failure on the offender’s part to make a good-faith effort to obtain the funds required to make payment, the court shall find that the default was unexcused and may commit the offender to the custody of the sheriff until all or a specified part of the restitution is paid. The length of confinement in a county jail for unexcused default must be specified in the court’s order and may not exceed one day for every $5 of unpaid restitution or 6 months, whichever is shorter. An offender committed for nonpayment of restitution is given credit toward the payment of restitution for each day of confinement that the offender is in custody, at the rate specified in the court’s order. The offender is also given credit for each day that the offender has been detained as the result of an arrest warrant issued pursuant to this section. An offender is responsible for paying any restitution remaining after receiving credit for confinement and detention. A default on the remaining restitution is also governed by this section. [PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).]
B. If it appears that the default is excusable, the court may give the offender additional time for payment or may reduce the amount of each installment. [PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).]
C. The confinement ordered under this subsection must be nonconcurrent with any judgment of conviction involving a term of imprisonment. [PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).]
[PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).]
4. Forfeiture of bail. When an offender who has been sentenced to make restitution and has defaulted in payment or service of the restitution is declared in forfeiture of bail in the proceeding brought under this section pursuant to Title 15, section 1094, the obligation and sureties of the defendant must be enforced pursuant to Title 15, section 1094 and the district attorney shall use the proceeds to satisfy the offender’s restitution obligation. Any proceeds from the forfeited bail remaining after the offender’s restitution obligation has been satisfied must be used in accordance with Title 15, section 224?A, subsection 2.
[PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).]
5. Collection. Upon any default, execution may be levied and other measures authorized for the collection of unpaid civil judgments may be taken to collect the unpaid restitution. A levy of execution does not discharge an offender confined to a county jail under subsection 3 for unexcused default until the full amount of the restitution has been collected.
[PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).]
6. Organizations. When restitution is imposed on an organization, the person or persons authorized to make disbursements from the assets of the organization shall pay the restitution from the organization’s assets. Failure to do so may subject the person or persons to court action pursuant to this section.
[PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. A, §2 (NEW).]
7. Payments. Payments made pursuant to this section must be made to the same agency to which the restitution was required to be paid under section 2006 or section 2011, except that if the offender is no longer in the custody or under the supervision of the Department of Corrections the payments must be made to the office of the attorney for the State who prosecuted the case.
[PL 2023, c. 196, §8 (AMD).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. A, §2 (NEW). PL 2023, c. 196, §8 (AMD).