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PublishedMay 10, 2024
‘RoboCop’ security systems pop up in Maine as concerns over retail theft rise
The flashing blue lights atop poles in some Maine parking lots are designed to deter criminals, but some question the balance of safety vs. privacy.
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PublishedMarch 20, 2024
ACLU of Maine names new executive director
Molly Curren Rowles will replace Arthur Padilla. Curren Rowles previously led the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine and worked on complex legal issues with Pine Tree Legal Assistance.
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PublishedMarch 8, 2024
ACLU’s updated lawsuit challenges legality of holding unrepresented, jailed Mainers
The governor, the attorney general and other state leaders have been included in the amended complaint and have a week to object to being added as defendants in the lawsuit targeting the state's indigent defense system.
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PublishedFebruary 28, 2024
Federal judge rejects Bangor school’s request to scrap anti-discrimination law ahead of trial
Crosspoint Church accused Maine of discriminating against religious schools whose policies violate the state's Human Rights Act. The state says giving them taxpayer dollars would allow discrimination against students.
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PublishedFebruary 28, 2024
Judge again rejects settlement, orders trial for ACLU’s suit against Maine’s indigent defense system
Superior Justice Michaela Murphy said a proposed settlement failed to address the elephant in the room – the growing number of low-income criminal defendants in Maine who are waiting weeks and months, sometimes in jail, for court-appointed attorneys.
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PublishedFebruary 13, 2024
Caribou High School to use fingerprinting to track student attendance
The Maine Chapter of the Maine ACLU criticizes the Aroostook County school district's decision on Tuesday, saying using biometrics to track students raises serious privacy concerns.
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PublishedDecember 15, 2023
Judge appears wary of settlement that state, ACLU say could help poor Mainers obtain legal representation
Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy again expressed doubt that a proposed settlement could help more poor Mainers access criminal defense lawyers.
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PublishedNovember 28, 2023
State, ACLU say new settlement on indigent legal representation offers more immediate relief
The proposal lays out a four-year plan for more oversight and data collection, but it's not clear that it contains the emergency relief for deprived defendants sought by the Maine judge who must approve the deal.
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PublishedNovember 27, 2023
Maine soon could reach another settlement on legal defense for its poorest residents
A judge rejected the first attempt at a deal between the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services and the ACLU of Maine.
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PublishedSeptember 15, 2023
Settlement talks expected to continue in lawsuit over state’s indigent defense system
After Justice Michaela Murphy rejected a proposed deal this week, the ACLU says it will continue working on a settlement, but is prepared to go to trial.
ACLU of Maine
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