1. Bond required. Every person elected or appointed sheriff for the Counties of York, Cumberland, Kennebec or Penobscot, before receiving that commission, must give bond to the Treasurer of State with at least 3 sufficient sureties or with the bond of a surety company authorized to do business in this State as surety in the sum of $40,000 and for any of the other counties in the sum of $25,000, conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties of the office and to answer for all neglect and misdoings of the chief deputy. Surety and fidelity insurance coverage provided by a public sector self-funded risk pool organized pursuant to section 2253 in the sum ordered by the commissioners is deemed to comply with the requirements of this section.
[PL 1999, c. 22, §3 (AMD).]
2. Approval of bond. After executing the required bond, every sheriff shall file it in the office of the county clerk, to be presented to the county commissioners at their next meeting for approval. After the bond has been approved by the commissioners, the clerk shall record it and certify the fact of approval on the bond.
[PL 1999, c. 22, §3 (AMD).]
3. Annual examination of bonds. The county commissioners of each county, at their first meeting after the 3rd Tuesday of June, on motion of the district attorney, shall annually examine the sufficiency of the bond of the sheriff of their county and have their clerk make a record of their determination.
[PL 1999, c. 22, §3 (AMD).]
4. New bond when insufficient. If the bond of any sheriff is found to be insufficient, the clerk shall certify that fact to the sheriff within 10 days. Within 20 days after that notice is given, the sheriff must give a new bond with sufficient sureties, to be filed in the office of the county clerk and approved by the county commissioners.
[PL 1999, c. 22, §3 (AMD).]
5. Forfeiture for neglect to give bond. A sheriff forfeits $150 to the State for each month's neglect to give the security required in this section. The Attorney General shall prosecute a civil action for the Treasurer of State to recover the forfeiture. The clerk of courts of the sheriff's county shall certify the sheriff's name to the Governor and the Attorney General. Unless reasonable cause for this neglect is shown or, within 20 days after the clerk certifies the sheriff's name, the sheriff gives or renews the security to the satisfaction of the Governor, the sheriff vacates the office.
[PL 1999, c. 22, §3 (AMD).]
6. Governor may require new bond. If the Treasurer of State certifies to the Governor that money due to the State on warrants or any other sums or balances are in a sheriff's possession and furnishes the names of the sheriff's sureties, and it appears to the Governor that the sureties are insufficient or have left the State, the Governor may require the sheriff to give a new bond with sufficient sureties within 60 days after the sheriff is notified. The new bond must be filed as required in subsections 1 and 2. If the sheriff neglects to file this new bond, the sheriff's office becomes vacant.
[PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
7. New bond required on application of sureties. When a surety on the official bond of a sheriff or the surety's heirs, executors or administrators petition the county commissioners to be discharged from suretyship, the commissioners shall have an attested copy of the petition served on the sheriff and may require a new bond to be given to their satisfaction. When it is given and accepted, the surety or the surety's legal representatives are not liable for any neglect or misdoings after that time.
[PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
