AUGUSTA — Shortly before Thanksgiving in 1975, Linda Perkins dropped her husband off to go deer hunting in the familiar woods less than a mile from her Washington, Maine, home. Ludger Belanger, 25, set off into the newly fallen snow and was never seen again. Aside from evidence that he’d shot a deer and been […]
criminal justice
Posted inMaine
Androscoggin County may get new court for veterans
AUGUSTA — Maine may get a second Veterans Treatment Court, this time in Androscoggin County. Modeled on one established in Kennebec County six years ago, the proposed court would connect veterans in trouble with the law “with the treatment they need, the services they have earned and the support they deserve,” said Rep. Bettyann Sheats, […]
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Sen. Susan Collins seeks to ensure courts protect gay jurors
A bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins would prevent lawyers in federal courts from striking potential jurors on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. “Serving on a jury is a fundamental right and obligation that no one should be prohibited from fulfilling based on his or her sexual orientation,” the Maine Republican […]
Posted inUncategorized
Proposal would bar Maine from charging minors with prostitution
AUGUSTA — With strong backing from groups as diverse as the Roman Catholic Church and the Maine Women’s Lobby, legislators are weighing whether to block police and prosecutors from charging anyone under 18 years of age with engaging in prostitution. “Minors who are charged with prostitution are not criminals but rather victims themselves,” said Oami […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
MLK Day highlights at Bates College
Bates College MLK Day highlights This year’s theme: “Mass Incarceration and Black Citizenship.” All events are free and open to the public. Some require advance tickets. For a complete list and more information: http://www.bates.edu/mlk/ Sunday, Jan. 17 7-8 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Worship Service: Speaker is the Rev. Dr. Peter Paris, author and retired professor […]
Posted inMaine
‘We’re not getting anywhere’: A judge’s day enforcing victim restitution orders
BANGOR — Steven Bell stood before a judge at Penobscot Judicial Center, answering questions about the $1,083 he owes in restitution for a theft that happened nine years ago. It was 2:30 p.m. Aug. 20, and until 4 p.m., District Court Judge Gregory Campbell would be hearing from criminal offenders who had been brought back […]
Posted inLetters
In Rebuttal, G. Dunne: The underlying problem
While there is little doubt that Maine’s mental health system is in serious need of reform, housing difficult patients in the Maine State Prison is not the solution (editorial, Sept. 15: “Riverview’s most dangerous patients must be moved”). The criminal justice and mental health systems are separate entities and should remain that way. Those found […]