Maine Code § 17-A-15

Warrantless arrests by a law enforcement officer
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1. Except as otherwise specifically provided, a law enforcement officer may arrest without a
warrant:
A. Any person who the officer has probable cause to believe has committed or is committing:
(1) Murder;
(2) Any Class A, Class B or Class C crime;
(3) Assault while hunting;
(4) Any offense defined in chapter 45;
(5) Assault, criminal threatening, terrorizing or stalking, if the officer reasonably believes that
the person may cause injury to others unless immediately arrested;
(5-A) Assault, criminal threatening, terrorizing, stalking, criminal mischief, obstructing the
report of a crime or injury or reckless conduct if the officer reasonably believes that the person
and the victim are family or household members, as defined in Title 19-A, section 4102,
subsection 6 or dating partners as defined in Title 19-A, section 4102, subsection 4;
(5-B) Domestic violence assault, domestic violence criminal threatening, domestic violence
terrorizing, domestic violence stalking or domestic violence reckless conduct;
(6) Theft as defined in section 357, when the value of the services is $1,000 or less if the officer
reasonably believes that the person will not be apprehended unless immediately arrested;
(7) Forgery, if the officer reasonably believes that the person will not be apprehended unless
immediately arrested;
(8) Negotiating a worthless instrument if the officer reasonably believes that the person will
not be apprehended unless immediately arrested;

(9) A violation of a condition of probation when requested by a probation officer or juvenile
community corrections officer;
(10) Violation of a condition of release in violation of Title 15, section 1026, subsection 3;
Title 15, section 1027, subsection 3; Title 15, section 1051, subsection 2; and Title 15, section
1092;
(11) Theft involving a detention under Title 17, section 3521;
(12) Harassment, as set forth in section 506-A;
(13) Violation of a protection order, as specified in Title 5, section 4659, subsection 2; Title
15, section 321, subsection 6; former Title 19, section 769, subsection 2; former Title 19,
section 770, subsection 5; Title 19-A, former section 4011, subsection 3; Title 19-A, former
section 4012, subsection 5; Title 19-A, section 4113, subsection 3; and Title 19-A, section
4114, subsection 5;
(14) A violation of a sex offender registration provision under Title 34-A, chapter 15;
(15) A violation of a requirement of administrative release when requested by the attorney for
the State;
(16) A violation of a condition of supervised release for sex offenders when requested by a
probation officer;
(17) A violation of a court-imposed deferment requirement of a deferred disposition when
requested by the attorney for the State;
(18) A violation of a condition of release as provided in Title 15, section 3203-A, subsection
9;
(19) A violation of a condition of supervised community confinement granted pursuant to Title
34-A, section 3036-A when requested by a probation officer;
(20) A violation of a condition of placement on community reintegration status granted
pursuant to Title 34-A, section 3810 and former section 4112 when requested by a juvenile
community corrections officer;
(21) A violation of a condition of furlough or other rehabilitative program authorized under
Title 34-A, section 3035 when requested by a probation officer or juvenile community
corrections officer;
(22) A violation of preconviction or post-conviction bail pursuant to Title 15, section 1095,
subsection 2 or section 1098, subsection 2 upon request of the attorney for the State;
(23) Failure to appear in violation of Title 15, section 1091, subsection 1, paragraph A;
(24) A Class D or Class E crime committed while released on preconviction or post-conviction
bail;
(25) A violation of a condition of release from a community confinement monitoring program
pursuant to Title 30-A, section 1659-A; or
(26) A violation of an extreme risk protection order issued pursuant to Title 25, section 2244,
subsection 3 or an emergency extreme risk protection order pursuant to Title 25, section 2245,
subsection 2; and [IB 2025, c. 1, §§3-5 (AMD).]
B. Any person who has committed or is committing in the officer's presence any Class D or Class
E crime. [PL 1995, c. 680, §3 (RPR).]
[IB 2025, c. 1, §§3-5 (AMD).]

2. For the purposes of subsection 1, paragraph B, criminal conduct has been committed or is being
committed in the presence of a law enforcement officer when one or more of the officer's senses afford
that officer personal knowledge of facts that are sufficient to warrant a prudent and cautious law
enforcement officer's belief that a Class D or Class E crime is being or has just been committed and
that the person arrested has committed or is committing that Class D or Class E crime. An arrest made
pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph B must be made at the time of the commission of the criminal
conduct, or some part thereof, or within a reasonable time thereafter or upon fresh pursuit.
[PL 1995, c. 680, §3 (RPR).]

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