| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §201, sub-§1, as repealed and replaced by PL 1977, | c. 510, §38, is amended to read: |
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| | 1. A person is guilty of murder if: |
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| A. He The person intentionally or knowingly causes the | death of another human being; |
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| B. He The person engages in conduct which that manifests a | depraved indifference to the value of human life and which | that in fact causes the death of another human being; or |
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| C. He The person intentionally or knowingly causes another | human being to commit suicide by the use of force, duress or | deception.; or |
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| D.__The person having the care and custody of a child 4 | years of age or younger assaults the child by means of force | that to a reasonable person would be likely to produce great | bodily injury and that results in the child's death. |
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| | This bill makes an assault of a child 4 years of age or | younger that results in the child's death punishable as murder. | Current law requires a sentence of imprisonment no less than 25 | years for a conviction of murder. |
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