Maine § 17-A §8 Statute of limitations

Maine Statutes

§ 17-A §8 — Statute of limitations

Maine § 17-A §8

Title 17-AMAINE CRIMINAL CODE

Part 1GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Ch. 1PRELIMINARY

This text of Maine § 17-A §8 (Statute of limitations) 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 §8 (2026).

Text

1.It is a defense that prosecution was commenced after the expiration of the applicable period of limitations provided in this section, except that the following prosecutions may be commenced at any time:

2.Except as provided in subsection 1 or 2‑A, a prosecution for a Class A, Class B or Class C crime must be commenced within 6 years after it is committed and a prosecution for a Class D or Class E crime must be commenced within 3 years after it is committed. 2-A. A prosecution for a Class A, Class B or Class C crime involving unlawful sexual contact or gross sexual assault or a prosecution for a Class A or Class B crime involving aggravated sex trafficking must be commenced within 20 years after it is committed.

3.The periods of limitations shall not run:

4.If a timely complaint, info

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1.
It is a defense that prosecution was commenced after the expiration of the applicable period of limitations provided in this section, except that the following prosecutions may be commenced at any time:
2.
Except as provided in subsection 1 or 2‑A, a prosecution for a Class A, Class B or Class C crime must be commenced within 6 years after it is committed and a prosecution for a Class D or Class E crime must be commenced within 3 years after it is committed.
2-A.
A prosecution for a Class A, Class B or Class C crime involving unlawful sexual contact or gross sexual assault or a prosecution for a Class A or Class B crime involving aggravated sex trafficking must be commenced within 20 years after it is committed.
3.
The periods of limitations shall not run:
4.
If a timely complaint, information or indictment is dismissed for any error, defect, insufficiency or irregularity, a new prosecution for the same crime based on the same conduct may be commenced within 6 months after the dismissal, or during the next session of the grand jury, whichever occurs later, even though the periods of limitations have expired at the time of such dismissal or will expire within such period of time.
5.
If the period of limitation has expired, a prosecution may nevertheless be commenced for:
6.
For purposes of this section:
7.
The defense established by this section shall not bar a conviction of a crime included in the crime charged, notwithstanding that the period of limitation has expired for the included crime, if as to the crime charged the period of limitation has not expired or there is no such period, and there is evidence which would sustain a conviction for the crime charged.

Legislative History

PL 1975, c. 499, §1 (NEW). PL 1977, c. 510, §18 (AMD). PL 1981, c. 317, §4 (AMD). PL 1981, c. 470, §§A37-A38 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 222, §§3, 4 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 585, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 438, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 173, §5 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 392, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. C, §57 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 483, §§1-3 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 483, §4 (AFF). PL 2023, c. 475, §2 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 475, §3 (AFF). PL 2025, c. 479, §1 (AMD).