Maine’s deputy secretary of state will decide by June 10 if a Turner man has the qualifications to be sheriff following a daylong hearing in Augusta Wednesday.

Julie Flynn, deputy secretary of state for Corporations, Elections and Commissions, presided over a hearing where Eric Samson, Androscoggin County sheriff, challenged the qualifications of nonparty candidate Kevin Nichols of Turner. Nichols is a former corrections officer and detective for Androscoggin County.

Both men are vying for the sheriff’s seat, a four-year position, in the Nov. 3 election.

Nichols said he believes he has the two years of experience required under state law to be a sheriff in Maine even though he never held the rank of a supervisory employee, such as a sergeant, corporal or another title.

Nichols held a variety of positions including corrections transport officer, unit manager, a field training officer, shift leader and detective, that he said fulfills the supervisory requirement.

Samson and other ranked officers from Androscoggin County argued at the hearing that Nichols’ experience does not meet the required eligibility.

Subpoenas that were supposed to be sent to Nichols’ witnesses were never sent out by the state. However, he had voluntary witnesses that did answer questions from Lynn Ward, attorney for Samson.

Ward argued that Nichols did not meet the eligibility requirements. He provided guidance, recommendations, oversaw crime scenes and took charge, but his actions were always overseen by a ranked supervisor, she said.

Lisa Webster, a former corrections field training officer, said she trusted Nichols’ judgment on recommendations for new recruits and new officers.

Two men who work in law enforcement said Nichols helped them rise in rank in their positions as an officer and a civil deputy.

Nichols also said he took supervisor training among other classes aimed at overseeing employees and helping others be successful in law enforcement and corrections positions.

Ward argued those actions do not meet the eligibility requirements in state statute for a law enforcement or corrections officer. She noted that another requirement is experience managing multi-million-dollar budgets, something Nichols does not have, she said.

Samson testified that he oversees budgets of $10 million to $15 million in taxpayer money, including the sheriff’s department operational budget and jail budget, and oversees 105 staff members.

Nichols was initially certified to be eligible as a corrections officer in 2001, as a part-time law enforcement officer in 2003, and as a full-time law enforcement officer in 2007.

He left the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office in 2015 after he was accused of accessing a seized cellphone without a search warrant, according to Nichols’ record with the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. He resigned from the sheriff’s office or faced termination.

Nichols said he resigned because he wanted to be a private investigator and that a person cannot hold a law enforcement certificate and be a private investigator in Maine.

According to his record with the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, he voluntarily permanently surrendered his law enforcement and corrections officer eligibility certificates in 2015.

In 2025, Nichols submitted paperwork for reinstatement for his eligibility certification to become a full-time law enforcement officer. Maine Criminal Justice Academy’s Criminal Complaint Committee held an informal conference on the matter on Jan. 13.

Nichols accepted responsibility for the actions. He told trustees that in the 10 years since he resigned, he has become sober and sought treatment for post traumatic stress disorder, and has worked as a private investigator and security officer.

Following the conference a consent agreement with the academy was signed stating that if he is elected sheriff, he can be recertified as a law enforcement officer.