Maine courts need 280 additional full-time defense lawyers to manage caseload of state’s poor, official says.
Samantha Hogan
Samantha Hogan focuses on government accountability projects for The Maine Monitor. Samantha, who was named 2021 Maine Journalist of the Year by the Maine Press Association, joined The Maine Monitor as its first full-time reporter as a 2019 Report for America corps member. She spent 2020 reporting exclusively on Maine's court system through the ProPublica Local Reporting Network. Samantha previously worked for The Frederick News-Post, covering state politics, agriculture, the environment and energy, and interned twice for The Washington Post.
LATEST ARTICLES
Maine group recommends phone numbers be collected to prevent more recordings of attorneys
Questions about penalties for investigators who receive confidential recordings unanswered as of Tuesday.
Too many cases. Too few lawyers. Maine courts stretch to find available defense attorneys
The state’s chief judge for superior courts says courts are unable to find a defense lawyer with “disturbing frequency” for the state’s poor.
Gubernatorial candidates Janet Mills and Paul LePage chart different paths for Maine public defense
Mills seeks to attract new lawyers and increase law firm participation. LePage would rather transition to county public defenders.
Study group recommends stricter policies about access to prisoner phone calls
More recommendations may be considered on Nov. 1.
Brewer lawyer suspended but can keep working
Donald F. Brown was sanctioned for misrepresentations to state and sexual relationship with a client.
Attorney General and ACLU agree to settlement talks in indigent legal services case
Dispute centers on whether Maine provides effective legal representation to the state’s poor.
Study group weighs statewide solution to prevent recording of prisoners’ phone calls with lawyers
Recommendations would go to the Legislature. It comes after months of reporting by The Maine Monitor.
Commissioners to ask Gov. Mills and legislative leaders to approve emergency funding of $13.3 million
A planned letter will ask lawmakers for special session to raise lawyer pay to $150 an hour amid record attorney shortage.
Maine prosecutors drop indictment amid allegations investigator ‘monitored’ attorney calls
Kennebec County memo shows investigator monitored calls a man made to his lawyer in April 2022.
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