Sec. 1. 17 MRSA c. 114, as amended, is further amended by repealing the chapter headnote and enacting the following in its place:

CHAPTER 114

DETENTION OF CERTAIN PERSONS

SUSPECTED OF STEALING

Sec. 2. 17 MRSA §3521, as amended by PL 1989, c. 122, §1, is further amended to read:

§3521. Detention of certain persons suspected of stealing

A store or motion picture theater owner, manager or supervisor, or that person's designee, may detain on the premises in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable period of time not to exceed 1/2 hour any person as to whom there is probable cause to believe is unlawfully concealing merchandise or concealing part of or operating an audiovisual or audio recording function of any device in the motion picture theater while a motion picture is being exhibited, without the written consent of the motion picture theater owner. The purposes of detention shall be are: To to require the person being detained to provide identification; to verify the identification; to inform a law enforcement officer of the detention and to surrender that person to the officer; to recover stolen merchandise or recordings and related equipment; and when the detained person is a minor, to inform a law enforcement officer or the parents or guardian of the minor of the detention and to surrender the minor to the person so informed.

Sec. 3. 17-A MRSA §352, sub-§5, ¶D, as amended by PL 2001, c. 389, §2, is further amended to read:

D. If the value of property or services cannot be ascertained beyond a reasonable doubt pursuant to the standards set forth in paragraphs A to C, the trier of fact may find the value to be not less than a certain amount, and if no such minimum value can be thus ascertained, the value is deemed to be an amount less than $500. Notwithstanding this provision, for the purposes of this chapter, the value of any audio or visual recording of all or any part of a motion picture that is obtained through the use of any type of recording device in a motion picture theater while a motion picture is being exhibited, without the written consent of the motion picture theater owner, is deemed to be no less than $5,000.