Lawmakers on the Judiciary Committee voted 10-2 to recommend Superior Justice Wayne Douglas’ nomination to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.
Emily Allen
Staff Writer
Emily Allen covers courts for the Portland Press Herald. It's her favorite beat so far — before moving to Maine in 2022, she reported on a wide range of topics for public radio in West Virginia and was the City Hall reporter for the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota. Emily is not a fan of the cold, but she puts up with Maine's challenging winters because she loves the state's beautiful hiking options ... once the snow has cleared.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Judge rules against Portland diocese, allows childhood abuse lawsuits to move forward
Superior Justice Thomas McKeon gave the diocese 21 days to appeal his decision to uphold a law that allows Mainers with previously expired claims of child sexual abuse to sue their alleged abusers.
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Posted inLocal & State, Politics
State finds $2.6 million to boost pay for lawyers who represent indigent defendants
The Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services says it will increase its reimbursement rate from $80 an hour to $150 an hour after state officials realized money to pay attorneys had not been carried over from an “orphaned” account it last used in 2019.
Posted inLocal & State, Maine Crime, News
Stockton Springs woman sentenced for lying during 3-year-old’s murder probe
Sherry Johnson, 59, was given a suspended sentence Tuesday after pleading guilty. Her daughter, Jessica Trefethen, was convicted and sentenced to 47 years for the death of Maddox Williams.
Posted inLocal & State, Maine Crime, News
Former jail guard won’t serve prison time for 2019 fatal crash
Kenneth Morang, 65, received a 6-year suspended sentence after being convicted of manslaughter in the 2019 death of Raelynn Bell.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Cumberland County sheriff’s deputy injured in Sebago arrest
Deputy Brandon Pelton had minor injuries after chasing and arresting a man in Sebago Thursday afternoon.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Mercy Hospital ordered to pay $6.5 million to family of man who died after misdiagnosis
Peter Smith was 25 when he died from Lyme disease in 2017. A jury decided Wednesday that Dr. John Henson failed to accurately diagnose him despite several visits.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Court hears arguments in diocese’s constitutional challenge
In a case expected to reach Maine’s high court, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland argues that a 2021 law that removed the statute of limitations on civil claims of childhood sexual abuse is unconstitutional.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Maine’s new lead public defender resigns
The Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services called an emergency meeting Wednesday to allow its executive director to temporarily fill the role left by Seth Levy.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Religion and Values
Diocese clears priest of abuse allegations, assigns him to Auburn parish
The Rev. Robert Vaillancourt spent roughly one year on administrative leave while church officials investigated allegations of sexual abuse in the 1980s. The diocese said in July that these allegations have not been substantiated.