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.
Crime and Justice
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.
Recipient of anti-LGBTQ hate mail sees gesture as ‘part of a larger political movement’
Nearly a third of the bias incidents reported in Maine over the last decade were related to victims’ sexual orientation.
Temporary public defense director selected amid major reform, barebone budget
On the same day the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services selected a new interim director, Gov. Janet Mills’ $8.4 billion budget excluded funds for public defense reforms that lawmakers say are needed.
Maine’s public defense agency acknowledges it didn’t enforce rules on attorney qualifications
The Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services is nearing a vote on a sweeping overhaul of requirements for attorneys who represent the poor. Members were stunned to learn existing rules for protective custody cases have not been enforced for nearly a decade.
Budget Breakdown: Public defense initiatives miss governor’s biennium budget
Once seen as a critical first hurdle to clear, the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services is now pivoting to building confidence in a fraught system as Gov. Janet Mills bypasses adding new funds for defense reforms to her biennium budget proposal.
Courthouse statue has Kennebec County officials searching for an answer
Melville Fuller, a Maine native, rose to become chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, but an 1896 decision leaves some wondering whether honoring him on courthouse grounds is proper.
Maine begins search for new public defense director, approves rule changes
After a decade at the helm, John Pelletier will step away from his role as executive director of the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services on Dec. 11. There will be a national search to find his replacement while the commission presses forward with a major overhaul to its rules and qualifications for attorneys.
Maine governor won’t fund defense reforms without accountability
Maine’s defense agency lacks the oversight structures and staffing to provide “high-quality representation” to the state’s poorest defendants. Maine’s democratic governor says more money won’t fix accountability problems.
Ineffective financial oversight, missed obligations of Maine’s public defense agency detailed in new report
The Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services lacks established financial policies, a strong oversight structure and adequate staffing to meet its constitutional obligations to provide high-quality representation to criminal defendants who are too poor to afford an attorney, the state’s watchdog unit detailed in a report released on Monday.
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