                   CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF MAINE
                     (as amended to Jan. 1, 1973)

                                PREAMBLE


   We the people of Maine, in order to establish justice, insure tranquility, 
provide  for our mutual defense,  promote our common welfare,  and secure  to 
ourselves  and  our posterity the blessings of  liberty,  acknowledging  with 
grateful  hearts  the  goodness  of the Sovereign Ruler of  the  Universe  in 
affording us an opportunity, so favorable to the design;  and,  imploring His 
aid  and direction in its accomplishment,  do agree to form ourselves into  a 
free and independent State, by the style and title of the STATE OF MAINE, and 
do  ordain and establish the following Constitution for the government of the 
same.

                               ARTICLE I

                         DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

Article 1.   All men are born equally free and independent,  and have certain 
natural, inherent, and unalienable rights,  among which are those of enjoying 
and  defending  Life  and  Liberty,  acquiring,  possessing,  and  protecting 
property; and of pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness.

Section  2.   All power is inherent in the people;  all free governments  are 
founded  in  their  authority and instituted for  their  benefit;  they  have 
therefore an unalienable and indefeasible right to institute government,  and 
to alter, reform, or totally change the same, when their safety and happiness 
require it.

Section 3.   All men have a natural and unalienable right to worship Almighty 
God  according to the dictates of their own consciences,  and no one shall be 
hurt, molested or restrained in his person, liberty or estate for worshipping 
God  in  the  manner  and season most agreeable to the dictates  of  his  own 
conscience, nor for his religious professions or sentiments, provided he does 
not disturb the public peace, nor obstruct others in their religious worship; 
-  And  all  persons demeaning themselves peaceably,  as good members of  the 
state,   shall  be  equally  under  the  protection  of  the  laws,   and  no 
subordination nor preference of any one sect or denomination to another shall 
ever  be  established by law,  nor shall any religious test be required as  a 
qualification  for any office or trust,  under this State;  and all religious 
societies in this State,  whether incorporate or unincorporate,  shall at all 
times  have  the  exclusive  right of electing  their  public  teachers,  and 
contracting with them for their support and maintenance.

Section 4.  Every citizen may freely speak,  write and publish his sentiments 
on  any  subject,  being responsible for the abuse of this liberty;  no  laws 
shall  be passed regulating or restraining the freedom of the press;  and  in 
prosecutions  for  any publication respecting the official conduct of men  in 
public  capacity,  or the qualifications of those who are candidates for  the 
suffrages of the people,   or where the matter published is proper for public 
information,  the  truth  thereof  may  be  given  in  evidence  and  in  all 
indictments for libels, the jury,  after having received the direction of the 
court, shall have a right to determine, at their discretion,  the law and the 
fact.

Section 5.  The people shall be secure in their persons,  houses,  papers and 
possessions  from all unreasonable searches and seizures;  and no warrant  to 
search any place, or seize any person or thing, shall issue without a special 
designation  of  the  place to be searched,  and the person or  thing  to  be 
seized, nor without probable cause - supported by oath or affirmation.

Section 6.   In all criminal prosecutions,  the accused shall have a right to 
be heard by himself and his counsel,  or either,  at his election;  To demand 
the  nature  and  cause of the accusation,  and have a copy  thereof;  to  be 
confronted  by  the  witnesses against him;  to have compulsory  process  for 
obtaining  witnesses  in his favor;  to have a speedy,  public and  impartial 
trial, and, except in trials by martial law or impeachment,  by a jury of the 
vicinity.  He  shall  not  be compelled to furnish or give  evidence  against 
himself, nor be deprived of his life, liberty, property or privileges, but by 
judgement of his peers or the law of the land.

Section  6-A.  No  person shall be deprived of  life,  liberty,  or  property 
without  due process of law,  nor be denied the equal protection of the laws, 
nor  be denied the enjoyment of his civil rights or be discriminated  against 
in the exercise thereof.

Section  7.    No  person shall be held to answer for a capital  or  infamous 
crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases 
of impeachment, or in such cases of offenses,  as are usually cognizable by a 
justice  of  the peace,  or in cases arising in the army or navy,  or in  the 
militia  when  in  actual  service  in time of  war  or  public  danger.  The 
Legislature  shall provide by law a suitable and impartial mode of  selecting 
juries, and their usual number and unanimity, in indictments and convictions, 
shall be held indispensable.

Section 8.   No person, for the same offense,  shall be twice put in jeopardy 
of life or limb.

Section  9.   Sanguinary  laws  shall  not  be  passed:   all  penalties  and 
punishments shall be proportioned to the offence: excessive bail shall not be 
required,  nor  excessive  fines imposed,  nor cruel nor unusual  punishments 
inflicted

Section  10.   No  person before conviction shall be bailable for any of  the 
crimes  which  now are,  or have been denominated capital offences since  the 
adoption  fo the Constitution,  where the proof is evident or the presumption 
great, whatever the punishment of the crimes may be. And the privilege of the 
writ  of  habeas  corpus  shall not be suspended,  unless when  in  cases  of 
rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. [amended by amendment 
ii]

Section  11.  The Legislature shall pass no bill of attainder,  ex post facto 
law,  nor  law impairing the obligation of contracts,  and no attainder shall 
work corruption of blood nor forfeiture of estate.

Section  12.   Treason  against the state shall consist only in  levying  war 
against it, adhering to its enemies,  giving them aid and comfort.  No person 
shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the 
same overt act, or confession in open court.

Section  13.   The laws shall not be suspended but by the Legislature or  its 
authority.

Section 14.  No person shall be subject to corporal punishment under military 
law, except such as are employed in the army or navy,  or in the militia when 
in actual service in time of war or public danger.

Section 15.  The people have a right at all times in an orderly and peaceable 
manner  to assemble to consult upon the common good,  to give instructions to 
their Representatives, and to request, of either department of the government 
by petition or remonstrance, redress of their wrongs and grievances.

Section  16.   Every citizen has a right to keep and bear arms for the common 
defence; and this right shall never be questioned.

Section  17.   No standing army shall be kept up in time of peace without the 
consent of the Legislature, and the military shall, in all cases,  and at all 
times, be in strict subordination to the civil power.

Section  18.   No  soldier shall in time of peace be quartered in  any  house 
without  the consent of the owner or occupant,  nor in time of war,  but in a 
manner to be prescribed by law.

Section 19.  Every person, for an injury done him in his person,  reputation, 
property or immunities, shall have remedy by due course of law; and right and 
justice shall be administered freely and without sale, completely and without 
denial, promptly and without delay.

Section  20.   In  all  civil  suits,  and in  all  controversies  concerning 
property, the parties shall have a right to a trial by jury,  except in cases 
where  it  has heretofore been otherwise practiced:  the party  claiming  the 
right may be heard by himself and his counsel, or either, at his election.

Section 21.  Private property shall not be taken for public uses without just 
compensation; nor unless the public exigencies require it.

Section  22.   No  tax  or duty shall be imposed without the consent  of  the 
people or their Representatives in the Legislature.

Section 23.  No title of nobility or hereditary distinction, privilege, honor 
or  emolument,  shall ever be granted or confirmed,  nor shall any office  be 
created, the appointment to which shall be for a longer time than during good 
behavior.

Section  24.   The  enumeration of certain rights shall not impair  nor  deny 
others retained by the people.
