What we’re monitoring: Probate & guardianship • Eavesdropping in jails
Lack of attorneys keeps parents waiting in child removal cases
Parents are supposed to have 10 to 14 days to respond to accusations, but instead are sometimes waiting weeks or months while their children are placed elsewhere.
For young offenders in Maine, justice varies with geography
Maine has tried to send fewer teenagers to prison, emphasizing rehabilitation programs instead. But the rural north of the state shows the effort has played out unevenly.
Complaint against state Supreme Court justice raises questions about judicial ethics
The Committee on Judicial Conduct will decide whether Justice Catherine Connors violated the ethics code in a process that has little public oversight.
Washington County behind in removing weapons from people at risk
A compilation of data by The Maine Monitor found that the county has filed just a single “yellow flag” order since the law passed nearly four years ago.
Maine’s firefighters rarely fight fires. Instead they’re answering medical calls.
In 2022, just 4.5 percent of calls that came into Maine fire departments were for fires. Seventy percent were for medical assistance.
Maine to open two public defender offices in rural counties
The new law is the latest effort to address the state’s ongoing failure to provide lawyers to poor defendants.
Connect with us:
STAY INFORMED
Sign up for our newsletters, especially Sunday Monitor, to keep informed of stories about courts & public safety.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Please consider donating so our reporters can continue telling stories like these.
KNOW OF A STORY?
Many of our stories have been based off a reader’s suggestion.
CONTACT US
Need to get in touch with our newsroom? We’re always happy to hear from our readers!