15 §2116. Court action after federal court has acted - Maine Statutes

Title 15: COURT PROCEDURE -- CRIMINAL

Part 4: JUDGMENT AND PROCEEDINGS

Chapter 305: APPEALS

§2116. Court action after federal court has acted

Whenever any federal court finds that a prisoner in any penal institution in this State has been deprived of any of the rights guaranteed to him by the Constitution of the United States before, at or after his trial, so that the judgment or sentence or both are erroneous and said court holds the case on its docket pending corrective action by the proper state official, the Attorney General may act as follows. He may file a petition in the Superior Court of the county where the prisoner was tried and convicted in term time or with any justice of said court in vacation, setting forth the petition of the prisoner to the federal court and the decision of that court, and the Superior Court of conviction or any justice thereof in vacation shall then recall the judgment and sentence held erroneous and order it stricken from the records of said court and shall set the prisoner down for trial if in term time or bind him over to the next criminal term in said county if in vacation, after setting his bail. If the sentence only is erroneous, the Superior Court of the county of conviction in term time or any justice thereof in vacation, on presentation of the Attorney General's petition, shall recall the erroneous sentence and order it stricken from the records and shall, in term time or in vacation, sentence the prisoner anew in accordance with the indictment against said prisoner.