Sen. Anne Carney

Maddy summaryThis bill, LD 2059, provides $13 million in fiscal year 2025-26 and $9 million in 2026-27 from the General Fund to reimburse assigned counsel (public defenders) for constitutionally and statutorily required court-appointed representation in Maine. It directly affects public defense systems statewide by addressing a funding shortfall for compensating lawyers who represent indigent defendants. The key provision is a one-time appropriation to cover unpaid reimbursements for counsel services during those fiscal years. The bill does not include funding for establishing a public defender office in Cumberland County, as that was removed in committee amendments.

Maddy summaryLD 1587 establishes criminal penalties for employers who intentionally violate Maine's labor laws, such as wage and hour requirements, affecting businesses operating in the state. It classifies these violations as a Class E crime, imposing fines up to $10,000 (with no jail time for first-time offenders) and requiring the Labor Director to investigate and refer cases to the Attorney General for prosecution. The Attorney General must respond within 30 days of receiving a referral and explain any decision to decline prosecution. The bill also mandates that the Department of Labor include detailed data on these referrals, fines collected, and reasons for declined prosecutions in its annual report.

Maddy summaryLD 1259 prohibits Maine local law enforcement agencies and officers from entering into any written or oral agreements with federal immigration authorities. The bill specifically bans contracts that would grant federal immigration enforcement powers to local agencies, including those under federal 8 U.S. Code §1357(g). This directly affects all Maine municipal police departments, sheriffs' offices, and individual officers who interact with federal immigration enforcement. The law aims to clarify and limit local law enforcement's role in federal immigration enforcement activities.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Maine state law to permanently define the geographic boundaries between the Western and Eastern Aroostook judicial divisions in Aroostook County. It codifies the specific municipalities and unorganized territories assigned to each division, which were previously established by the Chief Judge following the closure of the Madawaska District Court on November 1, 2025. The legislation ensures that residents in these areas continue to be served by either the Fort Kent or Caribou District Courts based on their location.

Maddy summaryLD 2126 eliminates the juvenile crime of "willful refusal to pay a fine or comply with a court order" by repealing the specific law that defined it (Section 3103, subsection 1, paragraph H) in Maine's statutes. This change means juveniles in Maine will no longer face criminal charges for failing to pay fines or follow court orders. The bill also updates related provisions, including requiring evidence beyond a reasonable doubt for some juvenile offenses and setting a $1,000 maximum fine for others. As a result, this type of non-compliance will no longer be treated as a criminal matter in juvenile court.

Maddy summaryThis bill (LD 411) changes Maine law regarding firearms seized as part of criminal cases. It requires all firearms forfeited under certain criminal sentences - including those used in murder or unlawful homicide - to be destroyed by the state, removing a previous exception that allowed third parties to claim ownership. The bill also aligns juvenile court procedures for firearm forfeiture with these updated adult sentencing rules. These changes apply to both adult criminal cases and juvenile proceedings involving firearms used in qualifying offenses.

Maddy summaryLD 1691 creates the Access to Justice Loan Program to address attorney shortages in rural Maine. It offers eligible Maine law students and recent graduates up to $25,000 per year for up to 4 years to cover law school debt, with loan forgiveness tied to practicing in designated underserved areas. To qualify, applicants must be Maine residents, meet financial or educational criteria, and commit to providing legal services in areas identified by the Finance Authority of Maine as having insufficient attorneys. Participants who fulfill this commitment receive 25% forgiveness of their original debt for each year they practice in these underserved regions.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows victims of sex trafficking or sexual exploitation to have their criminal history records sealed. It requires business screening services (like background check companies) to delete any sealed records from their databases and stop sharing inaccurate or sealed information. Specifically, if a victim's record is sealed through legal process, the screening service must remove it and notify the individual within 30 days. The law ensures these services update records within 30 days and verify accuracy every 90 days. It applies directly to trafficking victims seeking to limit how their sealed records are used by private background check providers.

Maddy summaryLD 1796 clarifies that the court, not Maine's Commission on Public Defense Services, must provide counsel for juveniles filing emancipation petitions and for parties entitled to counsel in proceedings under the Maine Uniform Probate Code. It also specifies that the court, not the Commission, is responsible for providing guardian ad litem services in probate code cases. These changes remove these specific responsibilities from the Commission's mandate by amending the definition of "indigent legal services" to exclude such guardian ad litem appointments. The bill implements recommendations from the Commission to eliminate ambiguity about which entity handles these cases, without altering the right to counsel.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits arresting or detaining people for civil violations, such as minor offenses like traffic tickets or code violations. It requires state attorneys to decide whether to charge certain minor criminal offenses (Class E crimes ineligible for probation) as civil violations instead, considering factors like the offense severity, victim impact, and prior records. If charged as a civil violation, penalties are limited to $1,000, and this decision cannot be challenged in court. The bill directly affects individuals facing minor charges and state attorneys who will make these charging decisions.