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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1129H.P. 748House of Representatives, March 18, 2025
An Act to Clarify Standards for Defendants' Post-judgment Motions
for Relief from Protection from Abuse Orders
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative KUHN of Falmouth.
Cosponsored by Representatives: CLOUTIER of Lewiston, MEYER of Eliot, MURPHY of
Scarborough, PUGH of Portland, SINCLAIR of Bath, STOVER of Boothbay. Page 1 - 132LR0794(01)
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2 is enacted to read:
3 Absent extraordinary circumstances, a defendant may file a
4 motion to extinguish a final order only in accordance with the Maine Rules of Civil
5 Procedure pertaining to relief from judgments. Motions to enforce a temporary or final
6 order and motions for contempt are not post-judgment remedies available to defendants
7 under this chapter. The court may dismiss any motion under this subsection without a
8 hearing.
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10 This bill clarifies that a defendant seeking relief from a protection from abuse order
11 may file a motion to extinguish a final order only in accordance with the Maine Rules of
12 Civil Procedure unless there are extraordinary circumstances. The bill further clarifies that
13 motions to enforce an order and motions for contempt are unavailable remedies to those
14 defendants. Under the bill, the court may dismiss without a hearing any motion filed by the
15 defendant seeking post-judgment relief.
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