Private phone contracts at Maine jails and prisons are adding millions of dollars to state and local coffers while financially straining families.
Crime & Justice
Following arrest, defense lawyer banned from representing defendants for state
Suzanne Dwyer-Jones was charged with impaired driving on May 10. She continued to represent the state’s poorest defendants — until she was suspended Thursday.
Federal judge dismisses wiretapping claims at Maine jails
Lawyers and clients were unable to show that Securus Technologies intentionally recorded their calls at county jails, a federal judge ruled.
Nominees for Maine’s public defense commission broke rules to work on serious criminal cases
If confirmed by the Senate, lawyers Meegan Burbank and Matthew Morgan would help oversee the system they – and scores of other attorneys – violated.
Two-year budget leaves public defense reform underfunded
Lawmakers delay decision again on whether to add money to the next state budget for legal services for Maine’s poor.
Lawmaker pushes to restore parole to Maine’s justice system
Rep. Jeffrey Evangelos asks, ‘Do we believe in redemption or not?’ while seeking support to overturn a parole ban that has existed in Maine for 45 years.
Lawmakers push public defense reform in rebuke of governor’s budget
The Judiciary Committee opposed Gov. Janet Mills’ plans to flat-fund the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services in the upcoming budget and instead is pushing for the state to greatly expand its oversight of attorneys.
Governor prepares to fill vacancies on public defense oversight board
Gov. Janet Mills intends to recommend people to fill three vacancies and two expired terms on the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services as early as next month.
Temporary director races to reform public defense system
With 120 days to make a difference, Justin Andrus has proposed top-to-bottom changes to get Maine’s struggling public defense agency back on track.
Lawyers who were ineligible to handle serious criminal charges were given thousands of these cases anyway
In the only state with no public defenders, people charged with murder and other serious crimes can get assigned attorneys who are legally ineligible to take on their cases. The state claims it was unaware.
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