Filing and deferred disposition agreements each provide a way to arrive at dismissal of a criminal charge. Filing agreements have been around longer than deferred disposition agreements. Filings are governed by Rule 11B of the Maine Rules of Criminal Procedure. … Read More
All criminal charges involve an arraignment. At the arraignment, the court explains the charges, the range of possible punishments, the presumption of innocence, the state’s burden of proof, the right to a jury trial and the right to counsel. At … Read More
Maine’s habitual motor vehicle offender law can trap the unwary, and the consequences are extremely serious. Any Maine driver who has multiple convictions or adjudications of the motor vehicle laws should familiarize him or herself with the habitual offender law … Read More
Below is a link to a story about manslaughter convictions handed down in Italy today against 7 scientists and earthquake experts because they failed to predict and warn the public of an earthquake that resulted in numerous deaths. There is probably no idea, … Read More
This is a followup to my recent posting on Miranda rights. Yesterday there was a report in the Portland Press Herald that, earlier this month, the York County D.A.’s office reported that police conducting the Kennebunk prostitution investigation still sought to interview 80 suspects. … Read More
Everyone seems to have the vague notion that when police arrest someone they are supposed to read the person his or her rights. On television and in the movies, the police arrest a guy and then proceed to read him his rights: “You have a right to remain … Read More