CHAPTER 142
S.P. 397 - L.D. 1192
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 15 MRSA §3304, sub-§6-A, as amended by PL 1987, c. 720, §2, is further amended to read:
6-A. Attendance of parent, guardian or legal custodian; contempt. The parent, guardian or legal custodian shall appear in response to the summons served pursuant to subsection 5 and shall attend all proceedings concerning the juvenile. The failure of a parent, guardian or legal custodian to appear in response to the summons or for a later hearing, or the inability to serve such a party, shall may not prevent the court from continuing with the proceedings against a juvenile who is before the court, except as required in section 3314, subsection 1, paragraphs C-1 and C-2.
A. The court may excuse the attendance of a parent, guardian or legal custodian at a particular proceeding or all proceedings for good cause or if appearing in court will result in undue hardship to the parent, guardian or legal custodian.
B. If the parent, guardian or legal custodian fails to appear with the juvenile and the court has not found good cause for not appearing, the court, after notice and hearing on the issue of contempt, may find the parent, guardian or legal custodian in contempt of court in accordance with the Maine Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rule 42(d).
C. This subsection does not create a right for the juvenile to have the juvenile's parent, guardian or legal custodian present at any proceeding or court-ordered program that the juvenile attends or is required to attend.
Sec. 2. 15 MRSA §3314-B is enacted to read:
§3314-B. Counseling, treatment, education or case management for juveniles and their parents, guardians and legal custodians
1. Counseling, treatment, education or case management. In conjunction with a disposition under section 3314, the court may require the juvenile and the juvenile's parent, guardian or legal custodian to participate in counseling, treatment, education or case management as determined by the court. The counseling, treatment, education or case management must be designed to create a favorable environment for sustained noncriminal behavior.
2. Costs. The court may order a parent, guardian or legal custodian to pay or cause to be paid all or part of the reasonable costs of any counseling, treatment, education or case management ordered pursuant to this section.
3. Enforcement. After notice and hearing and in accordance with the Maine Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rule 42(d), the court may invoke its contempt powers to enforce its counseling, treatment, education, case management or other order that applies to the juvenile, the juvenile's parent, guardian or legal custodian or any other person before the court who is subject to an order to participate in counseling, treatment, education or case management.
4. Probation. The court may not revoke a juvenile's probation because of a failure of the juvenile's parent, guardian or legal custodian to comply with an order under this section.
Sec. 3. Application. This Act applies to juvenile crimes for which a summons is served on or after the effective date of this Act.
Effective September 13, 2003, unless otherwise indicated.
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