16 M.R.S. § 553

This is the official text of 16 M.R.S. § 553, part of Maine’s M.R.S — part of the compiled statutory law of Maine, published by the state as "M.R.S." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

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16 §553. Deposition by compulsion

Official statutory text

When a magistrate, duly authorized, has summoned a person before him to give his deposition or affidavit in any case authorized by this subchapter pending in this or any other state, the summons has been served and returned by a proper officer or other person, and proof thereof is entered on the summons, and legal fees have been tendered him a reasonable time before the day appointed for taking the deposition and he refuses to attend, the magistrate may adjourn the time of taking his deposition and issue a capias, directed to a proper officer, to apprehend and bring such person before him. If at the time of the adjournment he is not apprehended, the magistrate may adjourn from time to time until he is brought before him. If he then refuses to depose and answer such questions as are propounded to him by either of the parties or persons interested, under his direction, the magistrate may commit him to the county jail for contempt, as a court may commit a witness for refusing to testify. The capias may be served by the sheriff, deputy sheriff or any constable of the county in which such person resides. If he escapes into another county, either of said officers may arrest him there and bring him before said magistrate.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.