Lawmakers returning to Augusta this month may recommend enacting a bill to open the state’s first trial-level public defender office.
Crime & Justice
Attorney general sues Maine lawyer for ‘negligent misrepresentation’ of billing
State officials filed a civil lawsuit against Fairfield & Associates and managing attorney Amy Fairfield for bad billing practices.
Twenty defendants, previously turned away, given new reporting dates at York jail
Defense lawyers during online court hearing argued it may be too late, that their clients were treated illegally.
COVID-19 forces York County Jail to turn would-be inmates away
Courts routinely order people convicted of lesser crimes to report to jail on a certain date. When they show up in York County, they’re being told the sentence has been delayed.
Judge orders evidentiary hearing in Bates case, opening ‘actual innocence gateway’ in Maine
The decision means new evidence may be considered in a high-profile, 1994 murder-rape case. A U.S. Supreme Court opinion was a key consideration.
The Maine Monitor sues York County for jail call records
York County refused to release records about times it may have recorded and listened to phone calls between defense lawyers and people held at the jail.
Gov. Mills lets public defense changes become law
Hard-fought reforms to Maine’s public defense system were enacted on July 15 without the signature of Gov. Janet Mills.
Lawyer withdraws from nearly 200 cases after not complying with billing investigation
In a scathing court motion, Amy Fairfield accused the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services of launching a “targeted campaign” against her law firm.
Lawmakers agree on ‘good start’ to overhauling state’s troubled legal defense system
Three bills cleared a major hurdle in the state House and Senate on Thursday and gained unanimous support of legislators. The reforms could change how Maine provides legal services to its poor and pays court-appointed attorneys.
Defense lawyers say system crumbling under huge backlog, inadequate funding for indigent defendants
The Legislature faces a vote on a $21.8 million package to overhaul the state’s criminal defense system, but Gov. Mills has yet to signal approval.
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