Three Strikes and Habitual Offender Laws in Maine

How Maine law treats three strikes and habitual offender laws, from the state code and official state agencies.

Short answer: Maine has no general 'three strikes' life sentence. Instead, when the State pleads and proves that a person had two or more prior convictions for crimes against the person, sexual assaults, sexual exploitation of minors, kidnapping or criminal restraint, robbery, sex trafficking and… 17-A M.R.S. §1604(2)(B), (5)(B); §1604(1)

Three strikes and habitual offender laws	Maine has no general 'three strikes' life sentence. Instead, when the State pleads and proves that a person had two or more prior convictions for crimes against the person, sexual assaults, sexual exploitation of minors, kidnapping or criminal restraint, robbery, sex trafficking and related crimes, or certain burglary and officer-assault crimes, a new crime in those groups is sentenced one class higher (for example, Class C, up to 5 years, becomes Class B, up to 10 years); for a Class A crime, the prior record gets special weight instead. Separately, a proven repeat sexual assault offender may be sentenced to any term of years. The listed groups are 17-A chapters 9, 11, 12, 13, 27 and 35 and §§402-A(1)(A), 752-A, 752-C and 752-F. Many individual statutes (such as theft) also raise the class for prior convictions. Class C: up to 5 years and $5,000; Class D: less than one year and up to $2,000; Class E: up to 6 months and $1,000 (17-A M.R.S. §§1604(1), 1704). Source: 17-A M.R.S. §1604(2)(B), (5)(B); §1604(1)

Three strikes and habitual offender laws

Maine has no general 'three strikes' life sentence. Instead, when the State pleads and proves that a person had two or more prior convictions for crimes against the person, sexual assaults, sexual exploitation of minors, kidnapping or criminal restraint, robbery, sex trafficking and related crimes, or certain burglary and officer-assault crimes, a new crime in those groups is sentenced one class higher (for example, Class C, up to 5 years, becomes Class B, up to 10 years); for a Class A crime, the prior record gets special weight instead. Separately, a proven repeat sexual assault offender may be sentenced to any term of years.

The listed groups are 17-A chapters 9, 11, 12, 13, 27 and 35 and §§402-A(1)(A), 752-A, 752-C and 752-F. Many individual statutes (such as theft) also raise the class for prior convictions. Class C: up to 5 years and $5,000; Class D: less than one year and up to $2,000; Class E: up to 6 months and $1,000 (17-A M.R.S. §§1604(1), 1704).

Source: 17-A M.R.S. §1604(2)(B), (5)(B); §1604(1)

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FAQ

Does Maine have a three strikes law?

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.