An Act To Amend the Trespass Laws Pertaining to Railroad Property
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0829
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: SHAW, SHORT
Amends: 4 MRSA §164, 23 MRSA §7007

Legislative Document 
No. 829 
H.P. 563 
House of Representatives, March 10, 2015 
An Act To Amend the Trespass Laws Pertaining to Railroad 
Property 
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative SHAW of Standish. 
Cosponsored by Representative: SHORT of Pittsfield. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  4 MRSA §164, sub-§17, as amended by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. B, §2 and 
affected by c. 614, §9, is further amended to read: 
17.  Marine resources bureau.  Establish in each division a marine resources 
bureau.  The Chief Judge shall appoint a clerk of the District Court in each division as 
violations clerk for the marine resources bureau in that division. 
The violations clerk shall accept written appearances, waivers of trial, pleas of guilty and 
payments of fines and costs in marine resources offense cases, subject to the limitations 
prescribed in this subsection.  The violations clerk serves under the direction and control 
of the judge of the court for which the violations clerk is appointed. 
A.  A marine resources offense means any violation of any provision of Title 12, 
chapters 601 to 627 and chapters 935, 937 and 939, or any rules adopted by the 
Commissioner of Marine Resources pursuant to those chapters. 
B.  The Chief Judge shall by order, which may from time to time be amended, 
suspended or repealed, designate the marine resources offenses within the authority 
of the violations clerk, except that the offenses may not include any offense for which 
a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment is provided by law.  The court shall 
establish schedules, within the limits prescribed by law, of the amount of fines to be 
imposed for the offenses. The order of the court establishing the schedules must be 
prominently posted in the place where the fines are paid.  Fines and costs must be 
paid to, receipted by and accounted for by the violations clerk in accordance with 
these provisions. 
C.  Any person charged with any marine resources offense within the authority of the 
violations clerk may file an appearance in person or by mail before the violations 
clerk. Any person may enter a plea admitting the violation charged and waiver of trial 
and pay the fine, and costs, established for the violation charged.  Any person 
entering a plea admitting the infraction charged must be informed of that person's 
rights, including the right to stand trial, that that person's signature to a plea admitting 
the violation charged will have the same effect as a judgment of the court and that the 
record of adjudication will be sent to the Commissioner of Marine Resources. 
D.  Any person who has been found guilty of or who has signed a plea of guilty to, or 
who has been found to have committed or who has signed a plea admitting or 
admitting with an explanation, one or more previous marine resources offenses 
subject to this subsection within a 12-month period may not appear before the 
violations clerk unless the court, by order, permits that appearance.  Each waiver of 
hearing filed under this subsection must recite on the oath or affirmation of the 
offender whether or not the offender has been previously found guilty of or to have 
committed or has previously signed a plea of guilty to, admitting or admitting with an 
explanation to, one or more marine resources offenses within a 12-month period.  
Any person swearing falsely to such a statement is, upon conviction, subject to a fine 
of not more than $50. 
E.  The Chief Judge, following notification to the Chief Justice of the Supreme 
Judicial Court or the Chief Justice's delegate, may authorize such forms and 
procedures as the Chief Judge considers appropriate to carry out this subsection; and 
Sec. 2.  4 MRSA §164, sub-§18, as amended by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. B, §3 and 
affected by c. 614, §9, is further amended to read: 
18.  Forest service bureau.  Establish in each division a forest service bureau.  The 
Chief Judge shall appoint the clerk of the District Court in each division as violations 
clerk for the forest service bureau. 
The violations clerk shall accept written appearances, waivers of trial, pleas of guilty and 
payments of fines and costs in forest service offense cases, subject to the limitations 
prescribed in this subsection.  The violations clerk serves under the direction and control 
of the judge of the court for which that clerk is appointed. 
A.  For purposes of this subsection, a forest service offense means any violation of 
Title 12, chapters 801, 805, 807, 809, 935, 937 and 939 and section 10203, subsection 
and sections 10651, 10653 and 11221 or any rules adopted by the Director of the 
Maine Forest Service pursuant to those chapters. 
B.  The Chief Judge shall by order, which may from time to time be amended, 
suspended or repealed, designate the forest service offenses within the authority of 
the violations clerk, except that the offenses may not include any offense for which a 
mandatory minimum term of imprisonment is provided by law.  The court shall 
establish schedules, within the limits prescribed by law, of the amount of fines to be 
imposed for the offenses.  The order of the court establishing the schedules must be 
prominently posted in the place where the fines are paid.  Fines and costs must be 
paid to, receipted by and accounted for by the violations clerk in accordance with 
these provisions. 
C.  A person charged with a forest service offense within the authority of the 
violations clerk may file an appearance in person or by mail before the violations 
clerk.  A person may enter a plea admitting the violation charged and a waiver of trial 
and pay the fine and costs established for the violation charged.  A person entering a 
plea admitting the violation charged must be informed of the person's rights, 
including the right to stand trial, that the person's signature to a plea admitting the 
violation charged has the same effect as a judgment of the court and that the record of 
adjudication will be sent to the Director of the Maine Forest Service. 
D.  A person who, within a 12-month period, has been found guilty of, has signed a 
plea of guilty to, has been found to have committed or has signed a plea admitting, or 
admitting with an explanation, one or more previous forest service offenses subject to 
this subsection may not appear before the violations clerk unless the court, by order, 
permits that appearance.  Each waiver of hearing filed under this subsection must 
recite on the oath or affirmation of the offender whether the offender was previously 
found guilty of or committed or previously signed a plea of guilty to or signed a plea 
admitting, or admitting with an explanation, one or more forest service offenses 
within a 12-month period.  A person swearing falsely to such a statement is subject, 
upon conviction, to a fine of not more than $50. 
E.  The Chief Judge, following notification to the Chief Justice of the Supreme 
Judicial Court or the Chief Justice's delegate, may authorize forms and procedures as 
the Chief Judge considers appropriate to carry out this subsection.; and 
Sec. 3.  4 MRSA §164, sub-§19 is enacted to read: 
19.  Railroad bureau.  Establish in each division a railroad bureau.  The Chief Judge 
shall appoint a clerk of the District Court in each division as violations clerk for the 
railroad bureau in that division. 
The violations clerk shall accept written appearances, waivers of trial, pleas of guilty and 
payments of fines and costs in railroad offense cases, subject to the limitations prescribed 
in this subsection.  The violations clerk serves under the direction and control of the judge 
of the court for which the violations clerk is appointed. 
A.  A railroad offense means any violation of any provision of Title 23, section 7007, 
subsection 1 or 2. 
B.  The Chief Judge shall by order, which may from time to time be amended, 
suspended or repealed, designate the railroad offenses within the authority of the 
violations clerk.  The court shall establish schedules, within the limits prescribed by 
law, of the amount of fines to be imposed for the offenses. The order of the court 
establishing the schedules must be prominently posted in the place where the fines 
are paid.  Fines and costs must be paid to, receipted by and accounted for by the 
violations clerk in accordance with these provisions. 
C.  A person charged with any railroad offense within the authority of the violations 
clerk may file an appearance in person or by mail before the violations clerk. A 
person may enter a plea admitting the violation charged and a waiver of trial and pay 
the fine and costs established for the violation charged.  A person entering a plea 
admitting the infraction charged must be informed that that person's rights, including 
the right to stand trial, and that that person's signature to a plea admitting the 
violation charged have the same effect as a judgment of the court. 
D.  A person who has been found guilty of or who has signed a plea of guilty to, or 
who has been found to have committed or who has signed a plea admitting or 
admitting with an explanation, one or more previous railroad offenses subject to this 
subsection within a 12-month period may not appear before the violations clerk 
unless the court, by order, permits that appearance.  Each waiver of hearing filed 
under this subsection must recite on the oath or affirmation of the offender whether or 
not the offender has been previously found guilty of or has committed or has 
previously signed a plea of guilty to, admitting or admitting with an explanation to, 
one or more railroad offenses within a 12-month period.  Any person swearing falsely 
to such a statement is, upon conviction, subject to a fine of not more than $50. 
E.  The Chief Judge, following notification to the Chief Justice of the Supreme 
Judicial Court or the Chief Justice's delegate, may authorize such forms and 
procedures as the Chief Judge considers appropriate to carry out this subsection. 
Sec. 4.  23 MRSA §7007, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. L, §12 and 
affected by Pt. X, §2, is amended to read: 
3.  Penalties.  The following penalties apply to violations of this section. 
A.  A person who violates subsection 1 commits a civil violation for which a fine of 
not less than $5 $50 and not more than $100 may be adjudged. 
B.  A person who violates subsection 1 after having previously violated subsection 1 
commits a civil violation for which a fine of not less than $100 $250 and not more 
than $500 may be adjudged. 
C.  A person who violates subsection 1 after having previously violated subsection 1 
or more times commits a civil violation for which a fine of not less than $500 $750 
and not more than $1000 $1,000 may be adjudged. 
C-1.  A person who violates subsection 1 after having previously violated subsection 
3 or more times commits a Class E crime. 
D.  A person who violates subsection 2 commits a Class E crime.  Violation of 
subsection 2 is a strict liability crime as defined in Title 17-A, section 34, subsection 
4-A. 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes within each division of the District Court a railroad bureau and a 
violations clerk to accept written appearances, waivers of trial, pleas of guilty and 
payments of fines and costs for civil violations of railroad trespass laws.  This bill 
designates as a Class E crime trespassing on railroad property after 3 convictions for civil 
violations of the railroad trespass laws.  This bill increases the minimum fines for civil 
violations of railroad trespass laws.