Attorneys and advocates say one of Maine’s busiest court districts is suffering a severe shortage of defense lawyers available for domestic violence cases.
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 inLocal & State, News, Schools and Education
University of Southern Maine welcomes freshmen to Gorham campus
School officials say about 550 new students are moving into dorms this weekend.
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Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State, News
Fourth man charged in deadly Woodford Street shooting rejects 12-year plea deal
Court proceedings in the 4 cases have dragged on for years since the fatal Portland shooting. The soonest that the last suspect, Jonathan Geisinger, will go to trial is August 2025.
Posted inLocal & State
Maine public defense office submits early $64.5 million request for next budget
The proposal includes new public defense positions and emergency measures to help find lawyers for hundreds of unrepresented criminal defendants.
Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State, News
Judge lowers bail for suspect in death of Waldoboro man
Jason Hewett, 39, has denied allegations that he shot and killed Kyle MacDougall last month in Cushing.
Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State, News, Politics
‘No easy fix’ to Maine’s indigent defense crisis, director tells lawmakers
The executive director of the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services tells the Government Oversight Committee that defendants in over 860 criminal cases need an attorney.
Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State, News
Hancock County probate judge sanctioned by state bar board
Under an agreement with the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar, William Blaisdell is allowed to practice law but must be supervised by another attorney. Maine’s highest court is still considering whether to discipline him as a probate judge.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State
Rhode Island lawsuit says Portland-based parking company deceives customers
The state’s attorney general alleges Unified Parking Partners is charging fines, disguised as taxes, and mimics government parking-enforcement.
Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State
Man pleads guilty in Saco convenience store robbery
Max Gbetibouo faces up to 20 years in prison on the Class C charge stemming from a 2021 robbery in which prosecutors said he took $144.
Posted inCops & Courts, Health, Local & State
Maine is still sending psych patients to controversial South Carolina hospital despite complaints
Justin Butterfield, 35, was committed to a state psychiatric hospital after killing his brother during a mental health crisis. His family is worried about him after he was transferred to a private hospital in South Carolina that has been likened to a prison.