Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes > Title 17 > Chapter 42 > Subchapter 2 - Possession of Animals

• Acquittal:
  1. Judgement that a criminal defendant has not been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
  2. A verdict of "not guilty."
   
• Act: means the Animal Welfare Act. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 1011
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Animal: means every living, sentient creature not a human being. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 1011
• Animal control: means control of dogs, cats, domesticated or undomesticated animals which may be a problem in the community and which are not controlled by any other law. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 1011
• Animal control officer: means the person appointed periodically by municipal officers pursuant to Title 7, chapter 725. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 1011
• Animal shelter: means a facility that houses animals and operates for the purpose of providing stray, abandoned, abused or owner-surrendered animals with sanctuary or finding the animals temporary or permanent adoptive homes. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 1011
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Automobile: means a motor vehicle designed for the conveyance of passengers that has a seating capacity of not more than 15 persons, including the operator. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 29-A Sec. 101
• Body piercer: means a person who performs body piercing on another. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 4321
• Body piercing: means the creation of an opening in the body of a human being for the purpose of inserting jewelry or other decoration. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 4321
• Body piercing establishment: means the premises where a body piercer performs body piercing. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 4321
• Bureau: means the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 29-A Sec. 101
• Camp trailer: includes a manufactured or homemade tent trailer, so called, that consists of a platform, shelf or box with means of permanently or temporarily attaching a tent. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 29-A Sec. 101
• Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry or his duly authorized agent. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 1011
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Constable: means a law enforcement officer appointed by municipal officers pursuant to law. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 1011
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: means the Department of Health and Human Services. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 4321
• Department: means the Department of Health and Human Services. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 4311
• Department: means the Department of Transportation. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 29-A Sec. 101
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Gross weight: means the weight in pounds of an empty vehicle or axle plus the weight of the maximum load to be carried by the vehicle or axle. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 29-A Sec. 101
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Humane agent: means an employee of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry who assists in enforcing this chapter. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 1011
• Humane society: means a nonprofit group or organization incorporated for the purpose of providing physical service directly to abused and abandoned animals, improving the conditions of animals, providing education concerning animals or fund-raising to promote animal welfare. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 1011
• Humanely clean conditions: means that both indoor areas and outdoor enclosures are cleaned on a periodic basis to remove excretions and other waste materials, dirt and trash with sufficient frequency to minimize health hazards and to provide adequately clean living conditions for the species of animal. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 1011
• in writing: include printing and other modes of making legible words. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Keeper: means a person in possession or control of a dog or other animal. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 1011
• Law enforcement officer: means any person who, by virtue of his public employment, is vested by law with a duty to maintain public order, enforce any law of this State establishing a civil violation, prosecute offenders or make arrests for crimes, whether that duty extends to all crimes or is limited to specific crimes. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 1011
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Livestock: means cattle; equines; sheep; goats; swine; domesticated cervids, fowl and rabbits; members of the family Camelidae, genus lama and genus vicugna; bison; and ratites. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 1011
• Minor: means an individual under 18 years of age who is not emancipated as defined by Title 15, section 3003, subsection 6. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 4321
• Month: means a calendar month. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• Moped: means a motorized device designed to travel with only 2 or 3 10-inch or larger diameter wheels in contact with the ground and that: