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An Act To Allocate Punitive Damage Awards in Civil Cases To Include an Amount To Ensure Access to Justice for Maine Citizens
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 14 MRSA §1602-D  is enacted to read:
§ 1602-D.  Judgments including punitive or exemplary damages; funding access to justice programs
Beginning October 1, 2007, in all civil actions in this State in which a judgment is entered that includes punitive or exemplary damages, the court shall require the plaintiff to distribute 25% of the punitive or exemplary damages actually collected from the defendant to a statewide nonprofit organization devoted exclusively to law-related charitable work for the purpose of funding access to justice programs in this State, including, without limitation, volunteer lawyer programs and elderly and low-income legal assistance programs.
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires a plaintiff in a civil case who receives punitive or exemplary damages to distribute 25% of those damages to a statewide nonprofit organization devoted exclusively to law-related charitable work for the purpose of funding access to justice programs.