Defenseless
Investigating the Only State Without Public Defenders
An investigation by The Maine Monitor and ProPublica found that more than a quarter of Maine attorneys disciplined in the past decade for serious professional misconduct were hired as lawyers for the poor. Defendants often paid the price.
Maine Will Soon Hire Its First Five Public Defenders. Most of the State Remains Without Them.
The only state in the country with no public defenders will still need an estimated $51 million to provide the service to indigent defendants in all 16 of Maine’s counties. It’s “not a solution, it’s a patch,” says the agency’s director.
ACLU Sues Maine for Providing Ineffective Defense Counsel
Frustrated by a lack of progress, a “last resort” lawsuit on behalf of poor criminal defendants alleges a state commission’s public defense system violates defendants’ constitutional rights.
Amid Calls for Reform, Maine’s Criminal Defense System Reaches a “Breaking Point”
As the Maine legislature considers a cash infusion to its public defense system, the state’s governor has yet to signal approval of the proposal, which critics say is not enough to fix the struggling agency.
Following a DUI Arrest, Maine Defense Lawyer Banned From Representing Defendants
For nearly two weeks after her arrest, a Maine lawyer continued to be contracted by a state agency with a record of mismanagement to serve as legal counsel for Maine’s poorest residents.
Lawyers Who Were Ineligible to Handle Serious Criminal Charges Were Given Thousands of These Cases Anyway
In the only state with no public defenders, people charged with murder and other serious crimes can get assigned attorneys who are legally ineligible to take on their cases. The state claims it was unaware.
Maine Governor Won’t Fund Reforms for Public Defense Agency Without Accountability
The state’s defense agency for the poor lacks the oversight structures and staffing to provide high-quality representation, a report found. The governor says more money won’t fix accountability problems.
Following Our Investigation, the Director of Maine’s Public Defense Agency Resigns
Amid mounting criticism of his management of attorneys, finances and the quality of legal services for Maine’s poor, John Pelletier stepped down as executive director of the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services. His last day will be Dec. 11.
Maine Officials Propose Doubling Budget for Agency Charged With Defending the Poor
Lawyers proposed opening Maine’s first two public defender offices and a substantial pay raise for court-appointed counsel in a $35.4 million budget approved by the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services.
Maine Hires Lawyers With Criminal Records to Defend Poor Residents. The Governor Wants Reform.
Gov. Janet Mills publicly called for a bipartisan effort to reform Maine’s defense system for poor people accused of crimes in response to an investigation by The Maine Monitor and ProPublica.
She Was Afraid of Her Lawyer. Then the Text Messages Started.
Leah Kerwin started receiving daily texts and videos explicitly requesting oral sex or intercourse. They came from her court-appointed attorney, who had already been suspended for other misconduct.
Maine Hires Lawyers With Criminal Records to Defend Its Poorest Residents
Maine is the only state in the country with no public defender system. Instead, legal services for the poor are left to private attorneys, who face disproportionately high amounts of discipline, and an office that doesn’t supervise them.
