Alyssa Mendez was left off a statewide list of people in need of lawyers and was not appointed one until more than 40 days after her first court appearance.
courts
Assistant U.S. attorney to be appointed District Court judge in Bangor
Andrew Lizotte first applied for the role in 2021 before reapplying last month.
Panel of Maine judges weighs whether to reprimand state supreme court justice
Catherine Connors, an associate justice on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, has been accused of failing to recuse herself from major foreclosure decisions, despite her past experience representing banks.
Maine judge finds DA’s office acted in ‘bad faith’ as prosecutors buckle under high caseloads
Three recent examples show how cases can languish or prompt sanctions when prosecutors fail to to turn over discovery.
Former staffer sentenced to 3 years for stealing $225,000 from 2020 US Senate candidate
Matthew McDonald told Max Linn that he would invest the money in cryptocurrency, court documents say.
Director of Maine agency for indigent legal defense steps down
Jim Billings is the second director in as many years to step down, following the resignation of Justin W. Andrus in 2023.
Attorney in Portland nominated to federal appeals court in Boston
Donald Trump has nominated Joshua Dunlap, a Scarborough resident who grew up in Vassalboro, to serve on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.
Maine’s highest-ranking justices will not weigh complaints against peers
According to new rules, ethics complaints against members of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court instead will be heard by a panel of lower court judges.
Maine’s public defense system gets $3.5M boost, without governor’s support
The emergency bill makes it easier for judges to appoint lawyers for people who can’t afford one themselves, and it authorizes the state to hire 5 new public defenders.
Maine has spent millions to digitize court records — and they’re still mostly not online
A recent decision to halt most online access puts into question whether eCourts will truly do what the state judicial branch promised.