Recent news articles indicate that President Trump made “false claims” 3,251 times in 497 days and that his average has gone up from 4.9 such claims per day to 6.5. Now, “false claims” is code for “lies.” So it’s especially gratifying at this precise moment in our history to read that in Knox County, the district attorney, Jonathan Liberman, has begun to review all current and closed cases involving former Rockland Police Officer Jacob Shirey. DA Liberman states: “The integrity of convictions obtained by our office is of the utmost importance” (See “Judge urges review of cases involving former Rockland officer, citing a ‘pattern of dishonesty’,” July 20).

The DA’s action stems from a history of “false claims” that Officer Shirey has apparently made, with the proverbial “final straw” being Justice Daniel Billings’ June 22, 2018, ruling allowing the guilty plea of a defendant to be withdrawn because Officer Shirey’s credibility was brought into question. Justice Billings also pointed out that he found Officer Shirey not credible in a September 2014 case. The fact that Officer Shirey’s supervisors at the Rockland Police Department investigated him for lying about his activities while on duty strongly suggests that this police officer may suffer from a “false claim” habit that at times appears out of control – to the detriment of the community.

Regardless of what outcomes eventually arise from Officer Shirey’s “false claim habit,” it is clear that Knox County DA Liberman, Judge Billings and the Rockland Police Department’s supervisors merit the strongest possible public support and appreciation. And please note that Cumberland County residents have an opportunity to elect a district attorney in November who will hopefully at long last make an effort to restore the integrity of that office.

Jim Logan

Biddeford