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Page 1 - 132LR2471(03)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
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S.P. 700 - L.D. 1801
An Act to Make Technical Changes to the Laws Governing the Maine
Commission on Public Defense Services
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 4 MRSA §1802, sub-§3-A, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 638, §2, is amended
to read:
3-A. Employed counsel. "Employed counsel" means an attorney employed by the
commission to provide legal services directly to persons who are eligible to receive indigent
legal services in civil proceedings.
Sec. 2. 4 MRSA §1802, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 638, §3, is amended to
read:
5. Public defender. "Public defender" means an attorney employed by the
commission to provide legal services directly to persons who are eligible to receive indigent
legal services in criminal and juvenile proceedings.
Sec. 3. 4 MRSA §1804, sub-§3, ¶A, as amended by PL 2023, c. 638, §7, is further
amended to read:
A. Develop and maintain a system that employs employed counsel and public
defenders, uses appointed private attorneys and contracts with individual attorneys or
groups of attorneys to provide high-quality, effective and efficient indigent legal
services. The commission shall consider other programs necessary to provide high-
quality, effective and efficient indigent legal services;
Sec. 4. 4 MRSA §1806, sub-§2, ¶G is enacted to read:
G. Materials, handouts, recordings and other documents produced, obtained or
otherwise acquired by the commission in connection with providing or preparing to
provide training and evaluation programs for attorneys who are or may seek to become
assigned counsel, employed counsel, public defenders or contract counsel.
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the commission may disseminate
materials governed by this paragraph to the extent necessary to comply with its duties
under this chapter without waiving the confidentiality of the materials.
LAW WITHOUT
GOVERNOR'S
SIGNATURE
JUNE 22, 2025
CHAPTER
415
PUBLIC LAW
Page 2 - 132LR2471(03)
Sec. 5. 22 MRSA §4007, sub-§1-A, ¶E, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 638, §26, is
amended to read:
E. The court shall, on request, disclose records that are confidential under this
subsection required to be maintained as confidential under this chapter to the Maine
Commission on Public Defense Services established by Title 5, section 12004‑G,
subsection 25‑A for the purpose of assigning, evaluating or supervising counsel.