An Act to Remove Restrictions in the Provisions of Law Relating to No-knock Warrants
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1087
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: CYRWAY, LaFOUNTAIN
Amends: 15 MRSA §57

Legislative Document
No. 1087
H.P. 682
House of Representatives, March 9, 2023
An Act to Remove Restrictions in the Provisions of Law Relating to 
No-knock Warrants
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative CYRWAY of Albion.
Cosponsored by Senator LaFOUNTAIN of Kennebec.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  15 MRSA §57, sub-§1, ¶B, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 267, §1, is amended 
to read:
B.  "No-knock warrant" means a warrant that authorizes execution of the warrant 
without the law enforcement officer first announcing the authority for the execution of 
the warrant and the purpose for which the warrant was issued.  Any warrant is a no-
knock warrant if it is executed without waiting at least 20 seconds after the 
announcement of authority and purpose before making entry.
Sec. 2.  15 MRSA §57, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 267, §1, is amended to 
read:
3.  Exceptions.  The restrictions in subsection 2 do not apply if the warrant clearly 
states that providing notice prior to execution of the warrant would create an imminent risk 
of destruction of evidence, death or bodily harm to a law enforcement officer, an individual 
in the location named in the warrant or an individual in the surrounding areas outside of 
the location named in the warrant.  Imminent risk of destruction of evidence, death or 
bodily harm under this subsection must be verified by the issuing authority by reviewing 
the information contained within the affidavit.
Sec. 3.  15 MRSA §57, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 267, §1, is amended to 
read:
5.  Requirements.  The following requirements apply to a law enforcement officer 
executing a no-knock warrant that is authorized under the exception provisions in 
subsection 3.
A.  An Each officer on the entry team shall wear an official uniform article of clothing 
that clearly identifies the officer as a law enforcement officer and, if the an officer's 
law enforcement agency provides body-worn cameras to law enforcement officers, a 
body-worn camera worn in accordance with the policies of the officer's law 
enforcement agency.  An Every officer shall follow the policy of the officer's law 
enforcement agency leading the execution of the warrant regarding the usage of body-
worn cameras.  This subsection does not require a law enforcement agency that 
provides body-worn cameras to mandate recording the execution of a no-knock 
warrant.
B.  In cases in which an imminent risk of death or bodily harm exists, only officers 
trained in the use of stun grenade, stun, distraction or other similar devices may use 
such a device during the execution of the warrant, except in exigent circumstances.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the provisions of law regarding no-knock warrants by:
1.  Removing the provision stating that any warrant is a no-knock warrant if it is 
executed without waiting 20 seconds after announcement of authority and purpose to make 
entry;
2.  Adding preventing the destruction of evidence to death and bodily harm in the 
exceptions to the requirements of no-knock warrants;
3.  Changing the clothing required to identify law enforcement while executing a 
no-knock warrant from a uniform to an article of clothing that clearly identifies an officer 
executing the warrant as a law enforcement officer;
4.  Requiring law enforcement officers executing a no-knock warrant to follow the 
policy of the lead law enforcement agency executing the warrant as opposed to an 
individual officer's law enforcement agency; and
5.  Allowing an untrained officer to use a stun grenade, stun, distraction or other similar 
device during the execution of a no-knock warrant in exigent circumstances.