Maine statute
17-A M.R.S. § 39 — Insanity
Current through First Special Session of the 132nd Maine Legislature (current through October 1, 2025)
Part of Chapter 2: Criminal Liability; Elements of Crimes, Maine Revised Statutes.
Full text of 17-A M.R.S. § 39
Statutory text current through the First Special Session of the 132nd Maine Legislature (current through October 1, 2025). This publication reproduces the statutory text of the Maine Revised Statutes from the Revisor of Statutes' official published files; it is not the official statutes of the State of Maine and has not been certified by the Secretary of State.
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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