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PublishedJanuary 24, 2025
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.
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PublishedJanuary 22, 2025
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.
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PublishedJanuary 22, 2025
What you need to know about the lawsuit over Maine’s public defense system
A superior court justice will hear arguments this week about what the state can do to meet its constitutional obligation to provide attorneys for people who can't afford their own.
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PublishedJanuary 15, 2025
Maine public defense agency urges state to fully fund its work
The latest request for more funding comes as the state is trying to resolve a lawsuit over its struggles to find enough lawyers to represent poor Mainers in more than a thousand different cases.
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PublishedJanuary 9, 2025
Judge’s ruling acknowledges that hundreds of Mainers’ rights are being denied
The state could be on a path to a widespread reform after a Superior Court justice ruled that many people facing serious criminal charges haven't received the court-appointed lawyer they are entitled to under the Constitution.
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PublishedJanuary 6, 2025
Public attorneys could soon represent Maine parents in child protection cases
The new Parents Counsel Division launches as Maine's child protective system is in crisis.
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PublishedJanuary 3, 2025
Judge rules Maine is denying constitutional rights
Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy will hold a hearing this month to determine how the state should remedy what she says is a violation of the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
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PublishedSeptember 27, 2024
Trial over Maine’s indigent defense crisis set to begin in December
The trial will address whether the state is violating the constitutional rights of hundreds of Maine defendants who are entitled to legal representation but are still waiting for a lawyer – and if so, how to fix it.
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PublishedAugust 26, 2024
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.
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PublishedAugust 21, 2024
‘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.
Maine Commission on Public Defense Services
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