Maine Code § 17-A-437

Permissible destruction or transfer of ownership to the State of a computer used in the
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commission of a crime

1. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary and except as provided in subsection 3,
the State may either permanently destroy or assume ownership of a computer that was used in the
commission of a crime or that facilitated the commission of a crime if:
A. A person is convicted upon a finding of guilt or upon the acceptance of a plea of guilty or nolo
contendere or is found not criminally responsible of a crime committed using, or that was facilitated
through the use of, the computer and all appeal periods have run and those proceedings have
concluded; [PL 2013, c. 297, §3 (NEW).]
B. The opportunity for the computer to be forfeited to the State through proceedings at the
presentencing stage has passed; and [PL 2013, c. 297, §3 (NEW).]
C. A person having a lawful property interest in the computer has not notified the State in writing
within 6 months following a conviction upon a finding of guilt or upon the acceptance of a plea of
guilty or nolo contendere or a finding of not criminally responsible that the person wants to take
possession of the computer. The written notification must be made to the criminal justice agency
having custody of the computer. [PL 2013, c. 297, §3 (NEW).]
If the State assumes ownership of a computer pursuant to this subsection, all computer data stored on
the computer must be permanently destroyed by the State, or caused by the State to be permanently
destroyed, in accordance with section 436.
[PL 2013, c. 297, §3 (NEW).]
2. A person who has a lawful property interest in a computer that was used to commit a crime or
that facilitated the commission of a crime may take possession of the computer if:
A. The person notifies the State in writing within 6 months following a conviction upon a finding
of guilt or upon the acceptance of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or a finding of not criminally
responsible that a person committed a crime using, or that was facilitated by the use of, the
computer and all appeal periods have run and those proceedings have concluded, that the person
wants to take possession of that computer. The written notification must be made to the criminal
justice agency having custody of the computer; [PL 2013, c. 297, §3 (NEW).]
B. The crime that was committed using, or that was facilitated through the use of, the computer is
not a crime identified in chapter 12; and [PL 2013, c. 297, §3 (NEW).]
C. All computer data stored on the computer have been permanently destroyed pursuant to section
436. [PL 2013, c. 297, §3 (NEW).]
[PL 2013, c. 297, §3 (NEW).]
3. Notwithstanding subsection 2, a person having a lawful property interest in a computer may not
take possession of that computer if the crime that was committed using, or that was facilitated through
the use of, the computer is a crime identified in chapter 12. Notwithstanding subsection 1, the computer
may be permanently destroyed by the State, or caused by the State to be permanently destroyed, in
accordance with section 436 if the crime that was committed using, or that was facilitated through the
use of, the computer is a crime identified in chapter 12.
When the State receives a notification from a person who wishes to take possession of a computer
pursuant to subsection 2, the State must respond to that notification within 60 days from the date the
notification was received by the State. The State's response must include but is not limited to what
actions, if any, the State will take regarding the computer identified in the notification.
[PL 2013, c. 297, §3 (NEW).]

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