An Act To Amend Certain Laws Affecting the Judicial Branch
Sec. 1. 4 MRSA §163, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2007, c. 377, §2 and affected by §17, is further amended to read:
The court shall file a monthly report with the State Auditor itemizing the amount of fines, surcharges and assessments imposed and to whom each is payable.
Sec. 2. 4 MRSA §554, as amended by PL 1991, c. 132, §3, is further amended to read:
§ 554. Accounting by clerks
Clerks of judicial courts shall account monthly under oath to the State Auditor for all fees received by them or payable to them by virtue of their office, except those portions of fees collected for passports and naturalization proceedings that are payable to the Federal Government, specify the items and pay the whole amount of the same to the Treasurer of State at such times and in such manner as the Chief Justice of the Superior Court or the Chief Justice's designee shall from time to time specify specifies.
Sec. 3. 14 MRSA §3147, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 414, §2, is amended to read:
§ 3147. Payment by credit card
The Judicial Department may implement a procedure for the payment of fines up to $500 by use of major credit cards and may assess a reasonable fee upon the defendant to cover any administrative expenses incurred in connection with the use of credit cards as a method of paying fines.
Sec. 4. 25 MRSA §3501, as amended by PL 1983, c. 254, §1, is further amended to read:
§ 3501. Application of chapter
This chapter shall apply applies to all personal property of which possession is transferred to a police department or other law enforcement agency of the State or any political subdivision thereof, under circumstances supporting a reasonable belief that such property was abandoned, lost or stolen, or otherwise illegally possessed, except property seized during search and retained and ultimately returned, destroyed or otherwise disposed of pursuant to a court order or some other law hereafter applicable to specific property or circumstance. This chapter shall apply applies to personal property seized during search and retained which that is not offered or admitted as evidence and which that, after retention by a police department or other law enforcement agency, becomes abandoned. This chapter does not apply to unclaimed personal property that has been confiscated at courthouses by judicial marshals. Such property that remains unclaimed for more than 30 days may be disposed of under the direction of the State Court Administrator.
Sec. 5. 29-A MRSA §2434, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read:
summary
This bill repeals a provision of law requiring the District Court to file a monthly report with the State Auditor regarding fines, surcharges and assessments imposed by the court and a provision of law requiring clerks of judicial courts accounting to the State Auditor for all fees received by them or payable to them to do so under oath. It also removes the $500 limit on the amount of a fine a person may pay with a credit card. It clarifies that if a driver’s license is suspended by order of the court for any conviction for operating under the influence or for any offense for which the court suspends a license or registration, and the defendant does not physically surrender the license in court, the license is still void, notwithstanding that it remains in the defendant’s possession. It also permits the State Court Administrator to order the disposal or destruction of unclaimed property confiscated at courthouses by judicial marshals if the property remains unclaimed for more than 30 days.