Me. Rev. Stat. » Title 17-A
Maine Revised Statutes

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 203 (2026)

Manslaughter

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1.  A person is guilty of manslaughter if that person:  
A. Recklessly, or with criminal negligence, causes the death of another human being. Violation of this paragraph is a Class A crime;   [PL 2001, c. 383, §9 (AMD); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
B. Intentionally or knowingly causes the death of another human being under circumstances that do not constitute murder because the person causes the death while under the influence of extreme anger or extreme fear brought about by adequate provocation. Adequate provocation has the same meaning as in section 201, subsection 4. The fact that the person causes the death while under the influence of extreme anger or extreme fear brought about by adequate provocation constitutes a mitigating circumstance reducing murder to manslaughter and need not be proved in any prosecution initiated under this subsection. Violation of this paragraph is a Class A crime; or   [PL 2001, c. 383, §9 (AMD); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
C. Has direct and personal management or control of any employment, place of employment or other employee, and intentionally or knowingly violates any occupational safety or health standard of this State or the Federal Government, and that violation in fact causes the death of an employee and that death is a reasonably foreseeable consequence of the violation. This paragraph does not apply to:  
(1) Any person who performs a public function either on a volunteer basis or for minimal compensation for services rendered; or  
(2) Any public employee responding to or acting at a life-threatening situation who is forced to make and does make a judgment reasonably calculated to save the life of a human being.  
Violation of this paragraph is a Class C crime.   [PL 2001, c. 383, §9 (AMD); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
[PL 2001, c. 383, §9 (AMD); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
2. 
[PL 1983, c. 480, Pt. B, §23 (RP).]
3. 
[PL 2001, c. 383, §9 (RP); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
3-A. 
[PL 1989, c. 872, §2 (RP).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1975, c. 499, §1 (NEW). PL 1977, c. 510, §40 (RPR). PL 1983, c. 217 (AMD). PL 1983, c. 372, §2 (AMD). PL 1983, c. 480, §B23 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 678, §1 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 505, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 872, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 873 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 34, §1 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 383, §9 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 185 cases (11 in the last 5 years), 1978–2026 · leading case: State v. Crocker, 435 A.2d 58 (Me. 1981).
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State v. Crocker, 435 A.2d 58 (Me. 1981). · cites it 8× “By the language of section 10(4)(C), which defines criminal negligence in terms of a " gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a reasonable and prudent person would observe in the same situation" (emphasis added), the legislature in 1975 clearly indicated its intention…”
State v. Schofield, 2005 ME 82, 895 A.2d 927. · cites it 6× “[¶ 1] In this appeal we consider the United States Supreme Court's recent Sixth Amendment jurisprudence as applied to an upper tier sentence — one greater than twenty years of imprisonment — based on a defendant's conviction of a Class A crime imposed pursuant to 17-A M.R.S.A. §…”
State v. Michaud, 1998 ME 251, 724 A.2d 1222. · cites it 6× “[¶ 11] Michaud next claims that the court erred in finding him guilty of manslaughter in violation of 17-A M.R.S.A. § 203 because the evidence was not sufficient to prove the element of “recklessness.”
State of Maine v. Victoria Scott, 2019 ME 105, 211 A.3d 205. · cites it 6× “[¶1] Victoria Scott appeals from a judgment of conviction for manslaughter (Class A), 17-A M.R.S. § 203(1)(A) (2018), entered in the trial court (Waldo County, R.”
State v. Hopkins, 189 A.3d 741 (Me. 2018). · cites it 4× “Hopkins appeals from a judgment of conviction of manslaughter (Class A), 17-A M.R.S. § 203(1)(A) (2017), entered in the trial court (Waldo County, R.”
State of Maine v. Kristina I. Lowe, 2015 ME 124, 124 A.3d 156. · cites it 4× “Lowe appeals from a judgment of conviction for two counts of manslaughter (Class A), 17-A M.R.S. § 203(1)(A) (2014), and aggravated leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident (Class C), 29-A M.”
Carrier v. Sec'y of State, 2012 ME 142, 60 A.3d 1241. · cites it 3× “Carri *1243 er pled guilty to three counts of vehicular manslaughter, 17-A M.R.S.A § 203 (Supp. 1996), 1 and three counts of aggravated operating under the influence, 29-A M.”
State v. Cheney, 2012 ME 119, 55 A.3d 473. · cites it 3× “[¶ 1] Garrett Cheney appeals from a judgment of conviction of manslaughter (Class A), 17-A M.R.S. § 203(1)(A) (2011); aggravated criminal operating under the influence (Class B), 29-A M.”
State of Maine v. Miranda G. Hopkins, 2018 ME 100. · cites it 3× “Thereafter, Hopkins was indicted for manslaughter (Class A), 17-A M.R.S. § 203(1)(A). After the grand jury indictment, the State dismissed the original murder charge in the complaint.”
State v. Keene, 2007 ME 84, 927 A.2d 398. · cites it 4× “) for manslaughter (Class A), 17-A M.R.S. § 203(1)(A) (2006), and kidnapping (Class A), 17-A M.”
State v. Thongsavanh, 2007 ME 20, 915 A.2d 421. · cites it 3× “Thongsavanh argues that the court erred in failing to interpret the depraved indifference murder statute to require that the court give a jury instruction on criminally negligent manslaughter, 17-A M.R.S.A. § 203(1)(A) (Supp.2002), 2 and in declining to instruct on manslaughter…”
State v. LaVallee-Davidson, 2011 ME 96, 26 A.3d 828. · cites it 6× “17-A M.R.S. § 203 (2010) states, in relevant part: 1.”
Show all 185 citing cases →
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 203(1): 4 cases
State v. Michaud, 1998 ME 251, 724 A.2d 1222. “[¶ 11] Michaud next claims that the court erred in finding him guilty of manslaughter in violation of 17-A M.R.S.A. § 203 because the evidence was not sufficient to prove the element of “recklessness.”
State v. Caouette, 462 A.2d 1171 (Me. 1983).
State of Maine v. Andrew P. Bilodeau, 2020 ME 92, 237 A.3d 156.
Seeley v. State, 431 A.2d 608 (Me. 1981).
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 203(1)(A): 113 cases
State v. Schofield, 2005 ME 82, 895 A.2d 927. “[¶ 1] In this appeal we consider the United States Supreme Court's recent Sixth Amendment jurisprudence as applied to an upper tier sentence — one greater than twenty years of imprisonment — based on a defendant's conviction of a Class A crime imposed pursuant to 17-A M.R.S.A. §…”
State of Maine v. Victoria Scott, 2019 ME 105, 211 A.3d 205. “[¶1] Victoria Scott appeals from a judgment of conviction for manslaughter (Class A), 17-A M.R.S. § 203(1)(A) (2018), entered in the trial court (Waldo County, R.”
State v. Crocker, 435 A.2d 58 (Me. 1981). “By the language of section 10(4)(C), which defines criminal negligence in terms of a " gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a reasonable and prudent person would observe in the same situation" (emphasis added), the legislature in 1975 clearly indicated its intention…”
State v. Hopkins, 189 A.3d 741 (Me. 2018). “Hopkins appeals from a judgment of conviction of manslaughter (Class A), 17-A M.R.S. § 203(1)(A) (2017), entered in the trial court (Waldo County, R.”
State of Maine v. Kristina I. Lowe, 2015 ME 124, 124 A.3d 156. “Lowe appeals from a judgment of conviction for two counts of manslaughter (Class A), 17-A M.R.S. § 203(1)(A) (2014), and aggravated leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident (Class C), 29-A M.”
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 203(1)(B): 16 cases
State v. Bridges, 413 A.2d 937 (Me. 1980).
State v. Leone, 581 A.2d 394 (Me. 1990).
Tribou v. State, 552 A.2d 1262 (Me. 1989).
State v. O'BRIEN, 434 A.2d 9 (Me. 1981).
State of Maine v. Merrill Kimball, 2016 ME 75, 139 A.3d 914.
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 203(1XA): 1 case
State v. Goodall, 407 A.2d 268 (Me. 1979).
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 203(2): 1 case
State v. Doody, 432 A.2d 399 (Me. 1981).
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 203(2)(B): 3 cases
State v. Flick, 425 A.2d 167 (Me. 1981).
State v. Valentine, 443 A.2d 573 (Me. 1982).
State v. O'BRIEN, 434 A.2d 9 (Me. 1981).
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 203(3): 8 cases
Alexandre v. State, 2007 ME 106, 927 A.2d 1155.
State v. Berube, 669 A.2d 170 (Me. 1995).
State v. Mylon, 462 A.2d 1184 (Me. 1983).
State v. McConvey, 459 A.2d 562 (Me. 1983).
Secundino Barcelo Cocio v. Lloyd Bramlett, 872 F.2d 889 (9th Cir. 1989).
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 203(3)(A): 1 case
State v. Berube, 1997 ME 165, 698 A.2d 509.
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 203(A)(1): 1 case
State v. Clarke, 1999 ME 141, 738 A.2d 1233.
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 203(l)(B): 1 case
Marquis v. State of Maine, No. AROcr-17-413 (Me. Super. Ct Aug. 7, 2019).
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