Hate Crimes
What is Maine's Law on Hate Crimes
17 MRS §2931 states, in part, “A person may not, by force or threat of force, intentionally injure, intimidate or interfere with, or intentionally attempt to injure, intimidate or interfere with or intentionally oppress or threaten any other person in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege, secured to that person by the Constitution of Maine or laws of the State or by the United States Constitution or laws of the United States.” 17 MRS §2932 states, “A violation of this chapter [Title 17, Chapter 93-C] is a Class D crime.”
17-A MRS §38 states, in part, “An actor does not suffer from an abnormal condition of the mind based solely on the discovery of, knowledge about or potential disclosure of the victim's actual or perceived gender, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation, including under circumstances in which the victim made an unwanted nonforcible romantic or sexual advance toward the actor or in which the actor and victim dated or had a romantic or sexual relationship.”
17-A MRS §108(3) states, “A person is not justified in using force against another based solely on the discovery of, knowledge about or potential disclosure of the victim's actual or perceived gender, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation, including under circumstances in which the victim made an unwanted nonforcible romantic or sexual advance toward the person or in which the person and victim dated or had a romantic or sexual relationship.”
17-A MRS §507(1) states, “A person is guilty of desecration and defacement if he intentionally desecrates any public monument or structure, any place of worship or burial, or any private structure not owned by him.”
17-A MRS §1501 states, in part, “The general purposes of the provisions of this Part are to… Permit sentences that do not diminish the gravity of offenses, with reference to the factors, among others, of…The selection by the person of the victim or of the property that was damaged or otherwise affected by the crime because of the race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or homelessness of the victim or of the owner or occupant of that property.”
25 MRS §1544, related to uniform crime reporting, states, in part, “The [State Bureau of Investigation] shall establish…a category for crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or ethnicity…”Return to What's Maine's Law on...
1/8/2026 A-Z List
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