FARMINGTON — A New Vineyard man who is a Kingfield town official accepted a plea deal Friday that resolved multiple charges stemming from a confrontation he had with his ex-girlfriend and two other men, his attorney said.

Douglas Marble, 33, was sentenced in Franklin County Superior Court to pay a $300 fine and must adhere to other conditions to avoid further legal penalties tied to the plea deal, court records state.

Marble was accused of ramming his Jeep into his ex-girlfriend’s car and assaulting another man who was a passenger in her car April 10 in New Vineyard, according to a report by the arresting officer, Maine State Trooper Joshua C. Birmingham.

Marble pleaded no contest Friday to charges of assault and reckless conduct as part of the plea deal, which dismissed charges of domestic-violence stalking, violating a protective order and criminal trespassing that Marble also faced in connection with the incident, his attorney David Sanders said Monday.

Marble, who is Kingfield’s administrative assistant and code enforcement officer, declined to comment on the plea deal Monday.

According Birmingham’s report, Marble left the scene of the confrontation before police were called, and he was pulled over in his Jeep by sheriff’s deputies later that day.

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After investigating the incident, Birmingham issued a summons to Marble.

The sheriff’s deputy also discovered marijuana in Marble’s Jeep during the traffic stop and summoned him on a charge of unlawful possession, the report states. The marijuana-related charges were dismissed as part of the plea deal, according to a court clerk.

Sanders said Monday that Marble disputed details of the case, which led to the no-contest pleas instead of guilty pleas.

Sanders described the no-contest pleas as having a different legal definition than a guilty plea. A no-contest plea is a statement that a defendant agrees the court may be able to convict them of a violation, he said.

“With a no-contest plea, you are not admitting you committed that violation,” Sanders said.

The court considers a no-contest plea to be a conditional guilty plea, according to a court clerk at Franklin County Superior Court.

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Franklin County Assistant District Attorney James Andrews, who handled the Marble’s prosecution, did not return a request for comment Monday.

The no-contest plea Marble entered on the reckless conduct charge has a condition known as a deferred disposition, which allows him to withdraw the plea if he follows certain conditions over the next 18 months, Sanders said.

Marble is prohibited from having contact with the three people involved in the incident, must undergo a substance abuse evaluation, and must adhere to other conditions tied to the agreement, Sanders said.

Selectwoman Heather Moody, who chairs the Kingfield Board of Selectmen, said before the court case’s conclusion that the charges have not affected Marble’s employment in Kingfield. She did not return a request for comment Monday, and Selectman John Dill declined to comment on the issue Monday. Other board members could not be reached.

David Robinson — 861-9287

drobinson@centralmaine.com


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