CHAPTER 644
H.P. 338 - L.D. 454
An Act to Expand the Warrantless Arrest Law and to Establish the Crime of Obstructing the Report of a Crime or Injury
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §15, sub-§1, ¶A, as repealed and replaced by PL 1999, c. 127, Pt. A, §33, is amended by amending subparagraph (5-A) to read:
(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 15, section 321;
Sec. 2. 17-A MRSA §758 is enacted to read:
§758. Obstructing report of crime or injury
1. A person is guilty of obstructing the report of a crime or injury if that person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly disconnects, damages, disables, removes or uses physical force or intimidation to block access to a telephone, radio or other electronic communication device with the intent to obstruct, prevent or interfere with another person's:
A. Report to a law enforcement agency; or
B. Request for an ambulance or emergency medical assistance to a governmental agency, hospital, physician or other medical service provider.
2. It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the actor reasonably believed that the actor's conduct was necessary to prevent a false public alarm or report as described in section 509.
3. Obstructing report of crime or injury is a Class D crime.
Effective August 11, 2000, unless otherwise indicated.
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