Getting Out on Bail
15 M.R.S. § 1026 — release on a promise first, and only the least restrictive conditions beyond it
For a crime bailable as of right, the judicial officer releases the defendant on personal recognizance or an unsecured appearance bond unless that release would not reasonably ensure the defendant comes back, commits no new crime, leaves the court process alone and keeps others safe.
Who handles this in Maine: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Maine directory.
If more is needed, the judicial officer sets the least restrictive condition or combination of conditions that will reasonably ensure those things.
Every release order includes a waiver of extradition, and the conditions that the defendant commit no new crime and not violate any pending protection from abuse order.
Sources for this section (1)
- 15 M.R.S. § 1026 — Standards for release for crime bailable as of right preconviction
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maine attorney.