Maine § 17-A §39 Insanity

Maine Statutes

§ 17-A §39 — Insanity

Maine § 17-A §39

Title 17-AMAINE CRIMINAL CODE

Part 1GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Ch. 2CRIMINAL LIABILITY; ELEMENTS OF CRIMES

This text of Maine § 17-A §39 (Insanity) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 17-A §39 (2026).

Text

1.A defendant is not criminally responsible by reason of insanity if, at the time of the criminal conduct, as a result of mental disease or defect, the defendant lacked substantial capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of the criminal conduct.

2.As used in this section, "mental disease or defect" means only those severely abnormal mental conditions that grossly and demonstrably impair a person's perception or understanding of reality. An abnormality manifested only by repeated criminal conduct or excessive use of alcohol, drugs or similar substances, in and of itself, does not constitute a mental disease or defect.

3.Lack of criminal responsibility by reason of insanity is an affirmative defense.

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1.
A defendant is not criminally responsible by reason of insanity if, at the time of the criminal conduct, as a result of mental disease or defect, the defendant lacked substantial capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of the criminal conduct.
2.
As used in this section, "mental disease or defect" means only those severely abnormal mental conditions that grossly and demonstrably impair a person's perception or understanding of reality. An abnormality manifested only by repeated criminal conduct or excessive use of alcohol, drugs or similar substances, in and of itself, does not constitute a mental disease or defect.
3.
Lack of criminal responsibility by reason of insanity is an affirmative defense.