Here are 5 takeaways as Maine courts in Augusta, Waterville and Skowhegan transition from paper to electronic filing.
criminal justice
Posted inFact Brief, Local & State, Maine Crime, News
Does Maine have any private prisons? | Fact brief
Nationwide, 22 states rely solely on publicly operated prisons.
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Posted inEditorials, Opinion
‘Slates’ should not be cleaned at the public’s expense | Editorial
‘Automatic sealing’ is not appropriate for public records. Mainers previously convicted of crimes can and must be protected from discrimination in other ways.
Posted inLocal & State, Politics
Some Maine criminal records would automatically be sealed under bill before Legislature
Supporters say it’s about time. Opponents want to see more research, and say the bill contradicts findings of a recent committee that recommended further study.
Posted inLocal & State, Maine Crime, News, Schools and Education
Maine’s only law school asks state for $1 million to reopen criminal law clinic
The University of Maine School of Law is trying to reestablish a criminal justice legal clinic for student attorneys, but funding it could be a roadblock in a tight budget year.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Maine lawmakers consider new office to review criminal convictions
The bill’s sponsor says the unit would make sure criminal convictions ‘were arrived at by just means.’
Posted inLocal & State
Maine’s public defense commission relaxes some of its attorney eligibility rules
In an effort to address the state’s public defense crisis, the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services voted to make it easier for some lawyers to get waivers for their experience and training requirements.
Posted inLocal & State, Maine Crime, News
Sister of Portland man convicted of manslaughter says she gave false testimony against him
Chelsey Cardilli’s claim that her brother, Mark Cardilli Jr., made racist statements weren’t key to his conviction in the 2019 death of her boyfriend, Isahak Muse, but they did fuel tensions in the case.
Posted inLocal & State, Maine Crime, Politics
Maine lawmakers support sealing past marijuana convictions – but not automatically
The proposal would allow convictions for marijuana cultivation and possession crimes committed prior to legalization to be eligible for sealing by a judge.
Posted inTimes Record
Man charged in Bath elementary school arson expected to plead guilty
Authorities said Allan Thomas Vigil, of Bath, set a fire in June 2022 that burned down more than half of the Dike Newell School, rendering it unusable.