Maine Code § 14-3135

Civil order of arrest
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A civil order of arrest issued under section 3134, subsection 1, or section 3136, must direct the
sheriff to arrest the individual named in the order and bring the individual to a hearing any day the court
is in session. In the case of a nonindividual debtor, the civil order of arrest must be issued for the arrest
of any officer, director or managing agent of the debtor or other agent appointed by the debtor to accept
service and who was served with the disclosure subpoena. [PL 1997, c. 17, §1 (AMD).]
After a civil order of arrest has been issued, the sheriff shall cause the debtor named in the order to
be arrested and shall deliver the debtor without undue delay to the division of the District Court
designated in the civil order of arrest or obtain from the debtor a personal recognizance bond to appear
in court at the specified date and time. The sheriff may take such steps determined necessary for the
sheriff's safety or the safety of others then present, including searching the debtor for weapons, if the
sheriff has a reasonable suspicion that the debtor has a weapon, and handcuffing the debtor if that is
necessary to transport the debtor to the court or to cause the debtor to remain peaceably at the court.
Upon arrival at the court, the sheriff shall notify the clerk or bailiff that the debtor is present and may
release the debtor into the custody of the bailiff. The sheriff shall instruct the debtor that the debtor
must wait at the court until released by the court or clerk. Upon release of the debtor into the custody
of the bailiff, the sheriff need not remain with the debtor at the court. [PL 2011, c. 177, §1 (AMD).]

After the judgment debtor is brought to the court, the clerk shall promptly notify the judgment
creditor or the judgment creditor's attorney of record in person or by telephone that the presence of one
of them is required for a hearing. If a disclosure or contempt hearing cannot be held that day due to the
inability of the judgment creditor or the judgment creditor's attorney to appear or due to the absence of
the judge or the inability of the court to hear the matter because of other business, the court or clerk
shall release the debtor upon the debtor's personal recognizance for appearance on a date certain. [PL
2011, c. 177, §1 (AMD).]
If the debtor fails to appear at the time and place specified in a notice of disclosure hearing in a
small claims action or in a disclosure subpoena or contempt subpoena issued pursuant to section 3134,
subsection 2 or in a personal recognizance bond obtained by the sheriff, clerk or court, and upon request
of the judgment creditor, the court shall order the Department of Labor to provide the judgment creditor
with the name and address of the current or most recent employer of the debtor, if any, together with
the date the employer last reported wage information concerning the debtor and issue an additional civil
order of arrest pursuant to section 3134 directing the sheriff to cause the debtor named in the order to
be arrested and delivered to the District Court without obtaining from the debtor a personal
recognizance bond. [PL 2015, c. 275, §3 (AMD).]
An order directed to the Department of Labor under this section may be served by the judgment
creditor by ordinary mail, accompanied by a reasonable fee set by the Department of Labor calculated
to cover the full labor, overhead and other costs of administering the order pursuant to state rules and
federal regulations. The Department of Labor shall respond to the judgment creditor within 20 days
after receipt of the court order. [PL 2015, c. 275, §4 (AMD).]
A debtor admitted to personal recognizance bond under this section or section 3134 shall date and
sign the bond and provide the following information: date of birth, hair color, eye color, height, weight,
gender, race, telephone number, name of employer, address of employer and days and hours of
employment. [PL 2015, c. 275, §5 (AMD).]
A debtor who fails to appear for a disclosure or contempt hearing after being released upon the
debtor's personal recognizance commits a Class E crime. [PL 2011, c. 177, §1 (NEW).]
Unless the judgment debtor shows good cause for failure to appear after being duly served with a
disclosure subpoena under section 3123, a contempt subpoena under section 3136 or an order to appear
and disclose under Title 19-A, section 2361, the debtor must be ordered to pay the costs of issuing and
serving the civil order for arrest. The costs of issuing and serving the civil order for arrest are $25 plus
mileage at a rate of 42¢ per mile. The fee payable to sheriffs and their deputies for civil orders for
arrest is governed by Title 30-A, section 421, subsection 6. [PL 2009, c. 205, §2 (AMD).]

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