AUBURN — The trials of two protesters — charged with criminal trespassing during a demonstration against railroad transportation of crude oil — began Monday morning.
The attorneys for Jessie Dowling of Unity and Douglas Bowen Jr. of Porter argued that the pair, who had linked arms and sat on railroad tracks in downtown Auburn, were not given enough time to comply with police directions to move.
Assistant District Attorney Andrew Matulis insisted that it was a simple case of trespassing and that the pair stayed despite repeated warnings to move.
The trials are being held in tandem at Androscoggin County Superior Court and presided by Justice MaryGay Kennedy. Matulis is prosecuting both trials with two juries, one for each defendant.
During the morning’s opening arguments, only one jury was allowed in the courtroom at a time. Both heard testimony from arresting officer Sgt. Gary Boulet of the Auburn Police Department, and Rick Fowler, an officer with the Boston and Maine Railroad Police Department.
dhartill@sunjournal.com
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- Jessica Dowling, left, attorney John Branson, center, and Douglas Bowen Jr. listen to opening arguments in Dowling and Bowen’s criminal trespass trial Monday morning in Androscoggin County Superior Court. The two were charged with trespassing on the railroad tracks in Auburn owned by Boston and Maine Railway Company’s parent corporation, Pan-Am Railways, during a protest in August 2013.
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- Defense attorney John Branson makes opening arguments in the criminal trespass trial of his client, Douglas Bowen Jr., Monday in Androscoggin County Superior Court in Auburn.
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- Douglas Bowen Jr. listens to opening arguments Monday in Androscoggin County Superior Court in Auburn at his criminal trespass trial stemming from an August 2013 arrest on the railroad tracks in Auburn during a protest of tar sands oils transportation.
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- Jessica Dowling listens to opening arguments Monday in Androscoggin County Superior Court in Auburn at her criminal trespass trial stemming from an August 2013 arrest on the railroad tracks in Auburn during a protest of tar sands oils transportation.
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- Jessie Dowling, Douglas Bowen Jr. and Meaghan LaSala defy orders from Auburn police to move off the railroad tracks next to Denny’s restaurant in Auburn during a protest against oil being transported over the railways in August 2013. They were eventually arrested without incident. Dowling and Bowen are on trial this week.
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- Assistant District Attorney Andrew Matulis addresses one of two juries during opening arguments in Jessica Dowling and Douglas Bowen Jr.’s criminal trespass trials Monday in Androscoggin County Superior Court in Auburn.
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- Dianne Sinclair of Porter protests in front of Androscoggin County Superior Court in Auburn on Monday where the criminal trespass trial of her husband, Douglas Bowen Jr., started Monday morning. Bowen was arrested in August 2013 during a protest on the Auburn railroad tracks of the transport of tar sands oil.
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- Jessica Dowling, left, attorney John Branson, center, and Douglas Bowen Jr. listen to opening arguments in Dowling and Bowen’s criminal trespass trial Monday morning in Androscoggin County Superior Court. The two were charged with trespassing on the railroad tracks in Auburn owned by Boston and Maine Railway Company’s parent corporation, Pan-Am Railways, during a protest in August 2013.
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- Sara Moscoso, left, of Swanville and Chris Buchanan of Belgrade protest in front of Androscoggin County Superior Court in Auburn on Monday morning before the criminal trespass trials of two fellow protesters, who were arrested in August 2013 on the railroad tracks in Auburn.
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- Defense attorney Logan Perkins makes opening arguments in the criminal trespass trial of her client, Jessica Dowling, Monday in Androscoggin County Superior Court in Auburn.
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