2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 15: COURT PROCEDURE -- CRIMINAL › Part 6: MAINE JUVENILE CODE › Chapter 507: PETITION, ADJUDICATION AND DISPOSITION › 15 §3310. Adjudicatory hearing, findings, adjudication

§3310. Adjudicatory hearing, findings, adjudication
1.  Evidence and fact-finding.
The Maine Rules of Evidence shall apply in the adjudicatory hearing. There shall be no jury.
[PL 1979, c. 681, §22 (RPR).]
2.  Consideration of additional evidence.
A. When it appears that the evidence presented at the hearing discloses facts not alleged in the petition, the court may proceed immediately to consider the additional or different matters raised by the evidence without amendment of the petition if all the parties consent.   [PL 1979, c. 681, §23 (AMD).]
B. In the event all of the parties do not consent as provided in paragraph A, the court, on the motion of any party or on its own motion, shall:
(1) Order that the petition be amended to conform to the evidence;
(2) Order that hearing be continued if the amendment results in substantial surprise or prejudice to the juvenile; or
(3) Request a separate petition alleging the additional facts be filed.   [PL 1979, c. 681, §24 (AMD).]
[PL 1979, c. 681, §§23,24 (AMD).]
3.  Evidence of mental illness or incapacity.
[PL 2011, c. 282, §2 (RP).]
4.  Standard of proof.
If the court finds that the elements of the juvenile crime as defined in section 3103, subsection 1, paragraph A, E, F, G or H are not supported by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt or that the elements of a juvenile crime as defined in section 3103, subsection 1, paragraph B or C are not supported by a preponderance of the evidence, the court shall order the petition dismissed and the juvenile discharged from any detention or restriction previously ordered. The juvenile's parents, guardian or other legal custodian must also be discharged from any restriction or other temporary order.
[PL 2009, c. 93, §10 (AMD).]
5.  Adjudication.
A. If the court finds that the allegations of the petition alleging a juvenile crime as defined in section 3103, subsection 1, paragraph A, E, F, G or H are supported by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt or that the allegations of a petition alleging a juvenile crime as defined in section 3103, subsection 1, paragraph B or C are supported by a preponderance of the evidence, the court shall adjudge that the juvenile committed a juvenile crime and shall, in all such adjudications, issue an order of adjudication.   [PL 2009, c. 93, §11 (AMD).]
B. Following the issuance of the order of adjudication, a dispositional hearing must be commenced. Upon motion of any interested party or on the court's own motion, the time for the commencement of the dispositional hearing may be increased to 2 weeks or, upon cause shown, for a longer period. Once commenced, the dispositional hearing may be continued one or more times for any of the reasons specified in section 3312, subsection 3 or, upon cause shown, for any other reason.   [PL 1995, c. 253, §1 (RPR).]
[PL 2009, c. 93, §11 (AMD).]
6.  Adjudication not deemed conviction.
An adjudication of the commission of a juvenile crime shall not be deemed a conviction of a crime.
[PL 1977, c. 520, §1 (NEW).]
7.  Default judgment on certain juvenile crimes.
If a juvenile fails to appear in response to a juvenile summons served pursuant to section 3304 for a juvenile crime described in section 3103, subsection 1, paragraph B or C, the judge may enter the juvenile's default, adjudicate that the juvenile has committed the juvenile crime alleged and impose a fine pursuant to section 3314, subsection 1, paragraph G. For good cause shown, the court may set aside the default and adjudication.
[PL 2011, c. 336, §4 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1977, c. 520, §1 (NEW). PL 1977, c. 664, §§31,32 (AMD). PL 1979, c. 373, §4 (AMD). PL 1979, c. 663, §117 (AMD). PL 1979, c. 681, §§22-25 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 253, §1 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 471, §F2 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 87, §§3,4 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 93, §§10, 11 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 282, §2 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 336, §4 (AMD).