The defense attorney for Robert LaPointe states that a fair and impartial jury in Cumberland County would be impossible. I completely agree.

This heated case has been tried in the headline media and public eye since day one. LaPointe has been portrayed as a drunkard from “away” driving his monster boat out of control until he ran over two innocent locals (Terry Raye Trott and Suzanne Groetzinger) just looking at the stars. Nothing could be further from the truth.

District Attorney Stephanie Anderson went on record stating the “news coverage has been factual.” Yet this same article claims the couple was riding in a motorboat, while others report it being anchored. To say LaPointe was operating “too fast after dark” is intentionally misleading. There are no laws in Maine that regulate speed on inshore waters, during the day or night, except for within 200 feet of shore.

There are laws, however, requiring boats in motion or at anchorage to display lights while occupied. Mr. Trott and Ms. Groetzinger had a responsibility to themselves and to other boaters to follow the law. I don’t care how large Mr. LaPointe’s boat was, how powerful the engines were, or how fast he was allegedly going, failure to have an occupied boat properly illuminated caused the deadly accident.

Robert LaPointe deserves a fair trial … in Aroostook County.

Benjamin Dube, Greene