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

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 454 (2026)

Tampering with a witness, informant, juror or victim

✓ current as of May 2026
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1.  A person is guilty of tampering with a witness or informant if, believing that an official proceeding, as defined in section 451, subsection 5, paragraph A, or an official criminal investigation is pending or will be instituted, the actor:  
A. Induces or otherwise causes, or attempts to induce or cause, a witness or informant:  
(1) To testify or inform in a manner the actor knows to be false; or  
(2) To withhold testimony, information or evidence.  
Violation of this paragraph is a Class C crime;   [PL 2003, c. 143, §5 (AMD).]
B. Uses force, violence or intimidation, or promises, offers or gives pecuniary benefit with the intent to induce a witness or informant:  
(1) To withhold testimony, information or evidence;  
(2) To refrain from attending a criminal proceeding or criminal investigation; or  
(3) To refrain from attending any other proceeding or investigation to which the witness or informant has been summoned by legal process.  
Violation of this paragraph is a Class C crime; or   [PL 2001, c. 383, §63 (AMD); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
C. Solicits, accepts or agrees to accept pecuniary benefit for committing an act specified in paragraph A, subparagraph (1), or in paragraph B, subparagraph (1), (2) or (3). Violation of this paragraph is a Class C crime.   [PL 2001, c. 383, §63 (AMD); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
[PL 2003, c. 143, §5 (AMD).]
1-A.  A person is guilty of tampering with a juror if the actor:  
A. Contacts by any means a person who is a juror or any other person that the actor believes is in a position to influence a juror and the actor does so with the intention of influencing the juror in the performance of the juror's duty. Violation of this paragraph is a Class C crime; or   [PL 2001, c. 383, §63 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
B. Violates paragraph A and the proceeding the juror is involved in is a criminal proceeding for murder or a Class A crime. Violation of this paragraph is a Class B crime.   [PL 2001, c. 383, §63 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
[PL 2001, c. 383, §63 (AMD); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
1-B.  A person is guilty of tampering with a victim if, believing that an official proceeding, as defined in section 451, subsection 5, paragraph A, or an official criminal investigation is pending or will be instituted, the actor:  
A. Induces or otherwise causes, or attempts to induce or cause, a victim:  
(1) To testify or inform falsely; or  
(2) To withhold testimony, information or evidence.  
Violation of this paragraph is a Class B crime;   [PL 2001, c. 383, §63 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
B. Uses force, violence or intimidation, or promises, offers or gives pecuniary benefit with the intent to induce a victim:  
(1) To withhold testimony, information or evidence;  
(2) To refrain from attending a criminal proceeding or criminal investigation; or  
(3) To refrain from attending any other proceeding or investigation to which the victim has been summoned by legal process.  
Violation of this paragraph is a Class B crime; or   [PL 2001, c. 383, §63 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
C. Solicits, accepts or agrees to accept pecuniary benefit for committing an act specified in paragraph A, subparagraph (1), or in paragraph B, subparagraph (1), (2) or (3).  
Violation of this paragraph is a Class B crime.   [PL 2001, c. 383, §63 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
[PL 2001, c. 383, §63 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
2. 
[PL 2001, c. 383, §63 (RP); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
3. 
[PL 1989, c. 300 (RP).]
4. 
[PL 2001, c. 383, §63 (RP); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1975, c. 499, §1 (NEW). PL 1977, c. 510, §54 (RPR). PL 1983, c. 352, §1 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 300 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 878, §B16 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 383, §63 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 143, §5 (AMD).
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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 41 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1980–2025 · leading case: State of Maine v. Joseph M. Solomon II, 2015 ME 96 (Me. 2015).
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State of Maine v. Joseph M. Solomon II, 2015 ME 96 (Me. 2015). · cites it 5× “) on a jury verdict finding him guilty of tampering with a juror (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 454(1-A)(A) (2014), and on the court’s verdict of guilty of violation of condition of release (Class E), 15 M.”
State v. DiPietro, 420 A.2d 1233 (Me. 1980). · cites it 4× “17-A M.R.S.A. § 454 (Supp.1980) provides in pertinent part: 1.”
State v. Brewer, 1997 ME 177 (Me. 1997). · cites it 2× “[¶ 5] Brewer was indicted by a grand jury for attempted murder, aggravated assault, *1142 terrorizing, and tampering with a witness (Class C), 17-A M.R.S.A. § 454. Brewer moved to sever the four charges and sought separate jury trials for each count on the ground that they…”
State v. Rega, 863 A.2d 917 (Me. 2005). · cites it 2× “Rega was also charged with tampering with a witness, 17-A M.R.S.A. § 454(1)(B)(2) (Class B) (Supp.”
State v. Rickett, 967 A.2d 671 (Me. 2009). · cites it 2× “) after a jury verdict finding him guilty of tampering with a victim (Class B), 17-A M.R.S. § 454(1-B)(A)(1) (2008), criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon (Class C), 17-A M.”
State v. Lemay, 46 A.3d 1113 (Me. 2012). · cites it 2× “§§ 152(1)(D), 755(1)(A) (2011); and tampering with a victim (Class B), 17-A M.R.S. § 454(1-B)(A)(2) (2011), entered in the Superior Court (Knox County, Hjelm, J.”
State of Maine v. Robert Hansley, 2019 ME 35 (Me. 2019). “Ferguson also was indicted for tampering with a victim (Class B), 17-A M.R.S. § 454(1-B)(A) (2018), but this charge was dismissed by the State.”
State of Maine v. Christal N. Gagnier, 2015 ME 115 (Me. 2015). · cites it 3× “Gagnier appeals from a judgment of conviction for tampering with a victim (Class B), 17-A M.R.S. § 454(1-B)(A)(1) (2014), aggravated furnishing of scheduled drugs (Class C), 17-A M.”
State of Maine v. Stephen A. Treadway, 2020 ME 127 (Me. 2020). · cites it 2× “§ 209-A(1)(B)(1) (2020); tampering with a victim (Class B), 17-A M.R.S. § 454(1-B)(A)(2) (2020); violation of a protective order (Class D), 19-A M.”
State of Maine v. Steven E Clarke, 2015 ME 70 (Me. 2015). · cites it 5× “See 17-A M.R.S. § 454(1)(A). The statute does not require the State to prove that Clarke threatened the witness in any way, or that Clarke was successful in affecting the witness’s testimony.”
State of Maine v. Thomas Ferguson, 2019 ME 10 (Me. 2019). “A subsequent indictment added a third charge of tampering with a victim (Class B), 17-A M.R.S. § 454(1-B)(A) (2017), which was dismissed by the State on the first day of trial.”
State of Maine v. Emanuel J. Sloboda, 2020 ME 103 (Me. 2020). “§ 201(1)(A) (2020) (defining murder to include “caus[ing] the death of another human being”); 17-A M.R.S. § 454(1)(A) (2020) (including, as an element of tampering with a witness, that the defendant “[i]nduces or otherwise causes .”
Show all 41 citing cases →
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 454(1) — 2 cases
State v. Nile, 595 A.2d 1047 (Me. 1991).
Tardiff v. Knox Cnty., 573 F. Supp. 2d 301 (D. Me. 2008).
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 454(1)(A) — 3 cases
State of Maine v. Emanuel J. Sloboda, 2020 ME 103 (Me. 2020). “§ 201(1)(A) (2020) (defining murder to include “caus[ing] the death of another human being”); 17-A M.R.S. § 454(1)(A) (2020) (including, as an element of tampering with a witness, that the defendant “[i]nduces or otherwise causes .”
State v. Junkins, 779 A.2d 948 (Me. 2001).
State of Maine v. Steven E Clarke, 2015 ME 70 (Me. 2015). “See 17-A M.R.S. § 454(1)(A). The statute does not require the State to prove that Clarke threatened the witness in any way, or that Clarke was successful in affecting the witness’s testimony.”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 454(1)(A)(1) — 1 case
State v. Seymour, 461 A.2d 1060 (Me. 1983).
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 454(1)(A)(2) — 6 cases
State of Maine v. Steven E Clarke, 2015 ME 70 (Me. 2015). “See 17-A M.R.S. § 454(1)(A). The statute does not require the State to prove that Clarke threatened the witness in any way, or that Clarke was successful in affecting the witness’s testimony.”
State v. Casella, 632 A.2d 121 (Me. 1993).
State of Maine v. Richard A. Larsen Jr., 2013 ME 38 (Me. 2013).
Tardiff v. Knox Cnty., 573 F. Supp. 2d 301 (D. Me. 2008).
State v. Branch-Wear, 1997 ME 110 (Me. 1997).
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 454(1)(B) — 3 cases
State v. DiPietro, 420 A.2d 1233 (Me. 1980). “17-A M.R.S.A. § 454 (Supp.1980) provides in pertinent part: 1.”
State v. Wilson, 456 A.2d 1276 (Me. 1983).
State v. Pinette, 679 A.2d 1083 (Me. 1996).
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 454(1)(B)(1) — 1 case
State v. DiPietro, 420 A.2d 1233 (Me. 1980). “17-A M.R.S.A. § 454 (Supp.1980) provides in pertinent part: 1.”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 454(1)(B)(2) — 1 case
State v. Rega, 863 A.2d 917 (Me. 2005). “Rega was also charged with tampering with a witness, 17-A M.R.S.A. § 454(1)(B)(2) (Class B) (Supp.”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 454(1)(b) — 1 case
State v. DiPietro, 420 A.2d 1233 (Me. 1980). “17-A M.R.S.A. § 454 (Supp.1980) provides in pertinent part: 1.”
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