Begin v. State
Begin v. State
Opinion of the Court
[¶ 1] Jason Begin appeals from a judgment of the Superior Court (Kennebec County, Stokes, J. ) denying his petition for release and discharge from the custody of the Commissioner of Health and Human Services pursuant to 15 M.R.S. § 104-A (2017). Begin argues that the court erred as a matter of law when it determined that Begin failed to prove that he "may be released or discharged without likelihood that [he] will cause injury to [himself] or to others due to mental disease or mental defect." See 15 M.R.S. § 104-A(1). We disagree and affirm.
[¶ 2] In support of his contention, Begin cites to a case where we stated that "[t]he acquittee must establish either that (1) 'the mental disease or defect by reason of which he was relieved of criminal responsibility no longer exists,' or (2) he 'no longer poses a danger to himself or others if he is released' despite any continuing mental illness." Beauchene v. State ,
[¶ 3] Contrary to Begin's argument, our focus in Beauchene and LaDew was on the legal definition of "mental disease or defect"-not the medical diagnoses that contributed *129to a finding of mental disease or defect. See Beauchene ,
The entry is:
Judgment affirmed.
We are not persuaded by Begin's additional contention-that the court erred when it reviewed and relied on reports that were filed with the court. See 15 M.R.S. §§ 101-D, 104-A (2017).
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.