A judge determined Jonathan Alas, 29, was suffering from psychotic symptoms that impaired his sense of reality when he killed Christopher Godin in 2023.
Emily Allen
Staff Writer
Emily Allen covers courts for the Portland Press Herald. It's her favorite beat so far — before moving to Maine in 2022, she reported on a wide range of topics for public radio in West Virginia and was the City Hall reporter for the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota. Emily is not a fan of the cold, but she puts up with Maine's challenging winters because she loves the state's beautiful hiking options ... once the snow has cleared.
Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State
Maine bar suspends law license for New Hampshire judge facing criminal charges
Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi, a supreme court justice in New Hampshire, was also licensed to practice law in Maine.
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Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State, News
How a Maine court ruling on child sex abuse claims compares with the rest of the country
A battle is being waged across states about whether ‘retroactive laws’ reviving expired claims under previous statutes of limitations are constitutional.
Posted inLocal & State
Gov. Mills doubles down on urging Maine’s public defense agency to relax rules
The Maine Commission on Public Defense Services says it needs more money than what the governor has offered to address a ‘constitutional crisis’ in Maine courts. Mills says the agency needs to change its rules first.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Maine supreme court rules 2021 child sex abuse law is unconstitutional
The law allowed people to sue for decades-old claims of child sex abuse that were previously barred by the state’s statute of limitations.
Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State
Man sentenced to 15 years for 2008 Portland homicide
Shane Hall pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Frank Williams after prosecutors agreed to dismiss a murder charge.
Posted inLocal & State
A Maine judge might release people without lawyers from jail
Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy has questioned whether Maine’s public defense agency has done enough to ensure people have lawyers in the first place.
Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State, News, Religion and Values
Fort Kent woman sues Jehovah’s Witnesses, alleging child sex abuse
Shannon Simendinger, 45, previously testified against one religious leader in a criminal trial 2 years ago. He was found guilty of sexual assault.
Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State, News
ACLU says lack of public defense lawyers in Maine erodes trust in courts
The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine was in court Wednesday to argue for the widespread release of low-income Mainers who face criminal charges but have not been appointed lawyers.
Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State, News
Woman settles lawsuit against Cumberland jail over privacy during childbirth
Jaden Brown of Lewiston agreed to a $350,000 deal after she sued the county sheriff and several jail officers in 2020, some of whom she said watched her deliver her child.