Criminal Justice (Sentencing)

LD 332 establishes mandatory minimum prison sentences for specific crimes involving children under 12. It requires courts to impose at least 25 years for gross sexual assault against children under 12 (with no suspended time), life imprisonment for repeat offenders convicted of similar crimes against children under 12, and a minimum 25-year sentence for aggravated sex trafficking involving children under 12. The bill directly affects defendants convicted of these offenses by removing judicial discretion for the minimum sentence length. These provisions apply to cases where the state proves the crime involved a child under 12, as specified in Maine’s criminal code.

LD 1074 removes the maximum probation period for individuals convicted of aggravated attempted murder in Maine. Currently, probation for such crimes is capped at 4 years (the same limit as for other Class A offenses), but this bill eliminates that cap. The law now specifies that probation for aggravated attempted murder can be set for any term of years, meaning there is no maximum length. This directly affects sentencing for this specific offense, granting judges discretion to impose probation without time restrictions.