
An attorney and elected probate judge for Hancock County has been suspended from practicing law after failing to prove he’s been paying taxes and child support.
William Blaisdell was previously placed on probation by the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar, which regulates attorneys in Maine.
The board opened an investigation into Blaisdell last year after a Belfast judge found him in contempt for refusing to comply with court orders.
Blaisdell was allowed to continue to practice law, with some supervision, as long as he fully complied with the court orders. But he hasn’t done that, according to an order by Superior Court Justice James Martemucci that was posted Friday.
“The Board has already demonstrated, and Blaisdell has agreed, that Blaisdell has committed violations of the Maine Rules of Professional Conduct,” Martemucci wrote on April 7.
“His non-compliance with the Order of this Court, without cause, demonstrates that Blaisdell threatens imminent injury to the public and to the interests of justice.”
Martemucci also signed an order appointing two attorneys, Paul Driscoll and Daniel Pileggi, to take over Blaisdell’s cases.
The suspension means he can no longer do his judicial work.
Blaisdell was suspended from overseeing probate court last fall, but was allowed to resume in January.
He was also previously barred from accepting cases through the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services, which oversees the representation of defendants who are entitled to a lawyer but can’t afford one on their own.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less