A juvenile must personally appear, and the juvenile or the juvenile’s counsel may enter an answer asserting the absence of criminal responsibility by reason of insanity or denying, admitting or not contesting the allegations of the petition, in accordance with Rules 11 and 11A of the Maine Rules of Unified Criminal Procedure, except that, if the case has been continued for investigation and for a bind-over hearing pursuant to section 3101, subsection 4, paragraph A, the court may not accept an answer to the petition other than a denial or assertion of the absence of criminal responsibility by reason of insanity until the court has conducted a bind-over hearing and has decided to retain jurisdiction of the juvenile in the Juvenile Court or until the prosecuting attorney has withdrawn the request to have the juvenile tried as an adult. An answer may be both a denial and an assertion of the absence of criminal responsibility by reason of insanity. If the juvenile or the juvenile’s counsel declines to enter an answer, the court shall enter an answer of denial. [PL 2015, c. 431, §30 (AMD).]

If the court accepts an answer admitting or not contesting the allegations of the petition, a dispositional hearing must be set at the earliest practicable time that will allow for the completion of a predisposition study conducted pursuant to section 3311 and for service of notice as required by section 3314, subsection 1, paragraph C?1 or C?2. If the answer entered is a denial or an assertion of the absence of criminal responsibility by reason of insanity, or both, or if the court declines to accept an answer admitting or not contesting the allegations of the petition, the matter must be set for further proceedings. [PL 2013, c. 234, §9 (AMD).]