HP0153
LD 192
Session - 126th Maine Legislature
 
LR 918
Item 1
Bill Tracking, Additional Documents Chamber Status

An Act To Allow Consideration of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder at Sentencing in a Criminal Case

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §1160  is enacted to read:

§ 1160 Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder as a mitigating factor

When sentencing a person convicted of a crime, a court may take into consideration as a mitigating factor that:

1   The person has been diagnosed with a condition known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder;
2   The fetal alcohol spectrum disorder substantially impaired the person's judgment, behavior, capacity to recognize reality or ability to cope with the ordinary demands of life; and
3   The fetal alcohol spectrum disorder significantly affected the person's conduct underlying the offense for which the person was convicted.

For purposes of this section, "fetal alcohol spectrum disorder" means a condition of impaired brain function constituting a permanent birth defect of a person caused by that person's mother's consumption of alcohol while pregnant with that person.

summary

This bill allows a court to consider as a mitigating factor in sentencing a person convicted of a crime that the person suffers from the condition of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is defined as a condition of impaired brain function constituting a permanent birth defect in a person caused by that person's mother's consumption of alcohol while pregnant with that person.


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