AUBURN – Two people charged in connection with a car crash in Poland that killed six people pleaded not guilty in Androscoggin County Superior Court on Thursday morning.

Ryan M. Brissette, 28, of Poland, and Samantha Renee Montana, 19, of Lewiston appeared in court with their attorneys. Neither needed to post bail: Brissette was released on $1,000 unsecured bond; Montana on personal recognizance.

Brissette was charged with allowing a minor to consume alcohol; Montana with allowing criminal operation of a car. Both charges are misdemeanors.

If found guilty, Brissette could spend up to a year in jail; Montana up to six months.

Both were indicted on the minor charges by an Androscoggin County grand jury after a lengthy investigation.

Two cars collided in Poland last year the day before Christmas, one of the deadliest crashes in Maine. The driver of one of the cars was legally drunk; his license had been suspended.

It was at Brissette’s home that police say about 10 people were drinking at a party on the night of Dec. 23, 2006, including Michael Cournoyer, 20, of Auburn. He later drove the car that caused the crash.

Police say Montana handed over keys to the Nissan Altima that Cournoyer was driving when he lost control and it crossed the center line on Route 122, slamming into a Dodge Spirit.

Three passengers in the car with Cournoyer also were killed: Jacob Roy, 20, of Lewiston; Robert Bruce, 19, of Auburn and Matthew Manley, 18, of Lewiston. The two people in the oncoming car also were killed. They were Steven Walton, 27, and his fiancee, Laura Caron, 25, both of Poland.

Justice Donald Marden imposed conditions on the release of the two defendants. He said Brissette cannot use alcohol excessively; Montana, who is underage, was barred from having alcohol illegally and from driving unless she is properly licensed. Her attorney, Scott Quigley, said he believed she was legally licensed to drive.

The courtroom was jammed with friends and family of the defendants and crash victims.

Leonard Sharon of Auburn, Brissette’s attorney, said the tragic consequences of the crash turned the misdemeanor charge against his client into something unusual.

“This is normally a very minor charge that’s dealt with in district court by way of, at most, a fine, but when people die as a result of it, it increases the nature of what is usually a minor charge,” Sharon said.