Smith sees it as the result of a broken system that forces people into debt for a shot at social mobility. State and local prosecutors insist they do not have a practice of listening to attorney calls. I even saw some of them laughing during the hearing, which was odd to me because peoples lives are being affected. Have a question about Government Services? Whether Aroostook County employees intended to listen to these calls or not, it has likely stymied communication between many lawyers and jailed clients in Maine, said Zach Heiden, the chief counsel of the ACLU of Maine. In a statement shared on social media, General Manager Bruce Brigman says that both electric and water service will be shut off this week, and Brigman says he can't safely open the mall without them. Aroostook County Courthouse, Maine (Courthouse News photo / Chris Marshall) Read the Top 8 Sign up for the Top 8, a roundup of the day's top stories delivered The project is also supported by Report for America and Investigative Editing Corps. Federal courts have said that defendants have a constitutionally protected right to seek confidential legal advice to develop a defense for trial. The agents who said they knew of those privileged calls were Special Agent Forrest Dudley, Supervisory Special Agent Peter Johnson and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent John Gaddis, Risler wrote in an email. WebAroostook County Jail scores perfect marks on biennial inspection When it comes to running a tight ship, staff at the Aroostook County Jail has once again risen to the challenge. County Crowds chanted and listened to speeches from members of Congress, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Jeffery R. Thibodeau, Jr., 44, Limestone: operating after habitual offender revocation, 30 days in jail, $500 fine. CARIBOU, Maine The following cases were heard under the Aroostook Criminal Docket at the Caribou Courthouse during the month of February. I was an addict and they were trying to pin me, deem me as a drug dealer and a drug trafficker, Hebert said. Simon served part of a 3-year sentence at the Bolduc Correctional Facility, a minimum security state prison in Warren. Justices asked lawyers to explore hypothetical scenarios. HOULTON, Maine The Aroostook County grand jury indicted 36 people during its September session, including a Fort Kent man facing multiple charges for COURT ALERTS IN EFFECT. Judge sets bond for 76-year-old woman accused of killing One agent was reportedly told by his superiors to stop listening and delete the recorded call if he believed it was with an attorney, an email from August 2020 shows. The competitors range in age from 15 to 68 and come from as far away as Minnesota. All drug enforcement agents statewide were told to immediately stop accessing any of the county jail phone systems. The complaint was dismissed in November 2021 by Chief Judge Jon Levy of the U.S. District Court District of Maine. WebAroostook County Superior Court, 144 Sweden Street, Suite 101. A short drive off Interstate 95, where miles of pine trees give way to farm fields, Houlton is a burst of activity along the border of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. This is a good reminder of how important it is to have your pets altered before any surprise litters can make an appearance., A few weeks ago we were contacted by Paws Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Fort Kent asking if we could help them with two cats. Between June 2019 and May 2020, the Aroostook County Jail recorded 622 calls that defendants made to 20 attorneys, including Tebbetts, according to records obtained by The Maine Monitor. WebClerk: Danielle Blade Phone: (207) 764-2055 TTY: 711 Maine Relay Hours of Operation Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. except for Court Holidays, Administrative Weeks When asked to confirm the names of those who downloaded the calls, Gillen said in an email to The Maine Monitor in November that, It would be safe to say they [Gaddis and Dudley] had access for drug investigations, considering they worked for MDEA [Maine Drug Enforcement Agency] at the time. Other officials wouldnt confirm the names of the agents who had access to Tebbetts calls. BANGOR, Maine A former resident of Aroostook County pleaded guilty in a Bangor court Monday to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Securus has not responded to multiple questions from The Maine Monitor about how its system operates. Snowmobile Trail Report, March 3, 2023 - Fiddlehead Focus There, law enforcement can save, burn CDs, download and playback recordings.. Caribou Criminal Docket, March 2021 - The County His drug trafficking charge would eventually be dismissed. Many U.S. jails record all calls, and non-attorney calls are routinely listened to by law enforcement in criminal investigations. Julian was out on his own in the bitter cold. BANGOR, ME - An Aroostook County man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in two separate cases for conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, DEA New England Division Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle and Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced. Courts in Aroostook County, ME - Courthouse Location and WebThere is new hope for economic revival in Aroostook County Green 4 Maine's acquisition of roughly 450 acres of the Loring Commerce Centre hopes to bring more jobs and opportunities to support the revival of The County. Maine lobstermen landed nearly 98 million pounds of lobster last year, netting about $389 million. A recent graduate of the University of Georgia, she also felt the discussion missed the bigger picture. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Aroostook The jail has deleted all information about the users and it cannot be recovered, Gillen told The Maine Monitor. Collins did not respond to a later request for comment. Gillen said he told them to also survey booking information and block recordings of any attorney phone numbers not already in the jails phone system. We agreed to take both so they wouldnt have to live out their days in a cage.. It's going to be a very busy weekend. Law enforcement listen to the recordings for details that the inmates may tell friends and family that could help them prosecute the case. When calls between Tebbetts and clients at the Aroostook County Jail were downloaded, the call was downloaded and either saved to a disc or a computer, according to Gillen. Maine's seven public universities, seven community colleges and a handful of private institutions compete for a dwindling number of students. Governor Janet Mills says it's a sign of the resilience of the lobster industry. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. If you follow the pale green line on Maine Tourism's map, you'll wind up along several roads from Portland to Fort Kent. Officials say they also need to monitor for contraband or threats to witnesses. Carlos Bravo, 26, Limestone: aggravated operation of a methamphetamine laboratory by a school, dismissed; operation of a methamphetamine laboratory, 6 years and 6 months in prison, all but 6 months suspended, 3 years probation, $4,110 restitution. World Spay Day is always the fourth Tuesday in February, which this year falls on Feb. 28. Calls with the same jailed client on different days were sometimes listened to by the same user. Shell casings were found by police where the shooting happened. The meeting will be held at noon on Friday, March 10 at the Par and Grill Restaurant in Caribou. Recordings of these conversations continued to be downloaded and played by investigators through August 2021, records obtained by The Maine Monitor reveal. It will be the companys headquarters in Northern Maine. WebAroostook County Stay current with all the latest and breaking news about Aroostook County, compare headlines and perspectives between news sources on stories happening The 15 new Specialized mountain bikes, paid for by a $13,000 donation from the Christopher and Nancy Pierce Charitable Foundation, will be part of a new mountain bike program for fifth- to eighth-graders at the center, Recreation Program Director Marie Carmichael said. Simon blames his family for his repeat violations and substance use. Portland In a landmark decision, a federal judge has ordered the Aroostook County Jail to provide a Madawaska woman with access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for her opioid use disorder during her 40-day jail BANGOR, Maine A former resident of Aroostook County pleaded guilty in a Bangor court Monday to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. A second 16-year-old boy from Calais has been summoned on a charge of assault in connection with the shooting. More than 60 mushers are registered for the Irving Woodlands Can-Am Crown 250. The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. 2 local buyers express interest in Aroostook Centre Mall. The race draws thousands of spectators to the small northern Maine border town. Its all. They trapped him and brought him to the sanctuary. BANGOR, Maine: A former Aroostook County resident pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Tia J. Mowers, 38, Caribou: stalking serious inconvenience/emotional distress, dismissed; violating condition of release, dismissed. This reporting was supported by the International Womens Media Foundations Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists. Alex Murdaugh listens as he is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for the murder of his wife and son by Judge Clifton Newman at the Colleton County Snowmobile Trail Report, March 3, 2023 - Fiddlehead Focus In Maine, authorities have been put on notice that attorney-client calls were being recorded and, in some jurisdictions, investigators were ordered to stop directly accessing recordings through the jails. Justice Clarence Thomas, the courts staunchest conservative, has written about the crushing weight of his own student loans, which he paid off after reaching the nations highest court. TTY: (207) 780-3060, Bangor: Mr. He had a very nice couple who were watching out for him. All non-privileged inmate calls are recorded, may be monitored, may be played back, and may be used for law enforcement purposes. The Maine Council for English Language Arts, an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English, and the Maine School of Science and Mathematics are proud to announce this years recipient of the Claudette and John Brassil Distinguished Educator Award: Anthony Dolan Scott. Wintergreen Arts Center is featuring two local young artists during March, Youth Art Month. Roy McKinney, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agencys director, blamed the jails telephone providers for recording attorneys and sending those calls to agents during investigations. Julian came to us a little over a year ago, emaciated and covered in wounds. It is troubling that the employees apparently did not report the attorney call recordings to their supervisors or the defense lawyers, said Corene Kendrick, deputy director of the ACLU National Prison Project, which focuses on prisoners constitutional rights. Ella Azoulay, a 26-year-old who lives in Washington, visited the rally to join the push for debt relief, which she calls a family issue. A 2018 graduate of New York University, Azoulay has $40,000 in student debt, while her dad has more than $400,000 taken out on behalf of her and her two siblings. A new report from the Maine Department of Marine Resources has found that Maine's commercial fisheries saw a 37% drop from historic highs in 2021. The contract signed by the Aroostook County Jail with Securus Technologies says that for attorney and clergy calls, the jail has the sole discretion, authority and responsibility for designating numbers as private. The company can make phone numbers private, but only when instructed to by the jail. PRESQUE ISLE, Maine A deal for the purchase of the Aroostook Centre Mall may be imminent as mall tenants wait in limbo. The jail established in 1889 attaches to the back of the district courthouse and overlooks the Aroostook County Sheriffs Office, Houlton United Methodist Church and a park where people gather in warm weather to eat at picnic tables during the early afternoon. Aroostook District Attorney Todd Collins, in a statement late last year, said his office in Aroostook County has not knowingly used privileged communications between a defendant and his / her attorney in a prosecution.. The caller ID shows its a call from Securus and theyve learned to recognize the extension for each county jail, he said. His alleged attackers fled by the time officers responded, and the man was taken first to a local hospital and then to another in Bangor with a gunshot wound that was not life-threatening. Summer Theriault, 18, Caswell: domestic violence assault, dismissed; disorderly conduct, offensive words, gestures, 90 days in jail. Edward S. Trombley, 62, Caribou: criminal mischief, $150 fine. New coronavirus mutant raises concerns in India and beyond, Trump ally Steve Bannon now willing to testify before Jan. 6 panel, filing a class action lawsuit against Securus Technologies, Couples recreation business cultivates 'slice of heaven' in Maine highlands, 2 teenagers charged after a man in Calais was shot on a walking trail, Fine-dining restaurant in northern Maine adds bed and breakfast, Nor'easter could dump a foot of snow on parts of Maine Saturday, Maine photographer snaps shots of bobcat thats blind in one eye, Residents in one western Maine town look to curb Poland Springs appetite for water, Maine should be on every birders bucket list, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. The Center for the Advancement of Rural Living will hold an informational meeting in an effort to recruit more volunteer drivers for the Caribou Area Ride Service. Its not unusual for Supreme Court cases to hang on legal technicalities, even in cases of great public interest. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 2 local buyers express interest in Aroostook Centre Mall. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. @media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.block_6402f7d6517c1{min-height: 100px;}}, A news reporter in coastal Maine for more than 20 years, Bill Trotter writes about how the Atlantic Ocean and the state's iconic coastline help to shape the lives of coastal Maine residents and visitors. All rights reserved. Bangor, ME 04401, Portland: The U.S. Department of Agricultures National Agricultural Statistics Service is encouraging producers and agribusinesses to respond to two upcoming surveys the Potato Stocks Survey and the Potato Processing Survey that are critical to the potato industry. Tia J. Mowers, 38, Caribou: assault, dismissed; disorderly conduct, offensive words, gestures, dismissed; violating condition of release, dismissed. A Houlton man, charged with multiple drug trafficking offenses, remains in the Aroostook County Jail following a court session Thursday. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries. Rayshaun Moore, 37, is serving a 32-year sentence for murder at the Maine State Prison in Warren. The Maine State Police Troop F barracks in Houlton responded to a number of calls for service during the period of Dec. 19, 2022-Jan. 1, 2023, including the following. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Anyone with information about the altercation is asked to contact the Washington County Sheriffs Office at 207-255-8308. Playback, which is just that, someone listening to the call, Martin said. At the time, Gillen said limiting access was enough of a fix. Some of my clients are refusing to talk on the phone with me even today.. I wanted to be like, Yall dont understand. The following Aroostook County students have been named to the fall 2022 president's list at Husson University, for attaining a GPA of 3.8 and above: What started as a hobby for Logan Huoppi has turned into a business dedicated to helping people keep their vehicles in good repair. Corey Hebert of Wallagrass with his truck by the Maine Turnpike in Cumberland County. But their marital bliss rapidly ended. Aroostook County Heberts world was spiraling out of control in September 2019 when his second wife called police to their home. When Tebbetts asked county officials what had happened to the recordings of him and his clients, Sheriff Gillen wrote in an August 2020 email, I spoke to Agent Gaddis and he stated that when he requested phone calls from a specific inmate, he was told if you come across a phone call between an inmate [and] their attorney to stop listening and delete the recorded call. Two new town councilors and a new school board member will help Fort Fairfield determine its future in the new year. Dawn Guzman, 52, Limestone: theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, dismissed; misuse of identification, dismissed. To continue Student loan payments have been on hold since the start of the pandemic, but theyare set to restart60 days after the court cases resolve regardless of the outcome. I want to talk to you about a cat named Julian. For example, The Maine Monitor learned that three agents assigned to a statewide drug task force in Aroostook County identified recordings of attorneys during their investigations. Caribou District Court, 144 Sweden Street, Suite 104. Aroostook County voters skewed largely Republican in statewide races on Election Day. The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency agreed to a request by The Maine Monitor last year to survey agents and ask them if they were aware of privileged jail calls being found in any investigations or related criminal prosecutions. There are two potential local buyers, but their names will not be made public at this point, Presque Isle City Councilor Craig Green said Wednesday.Read more. In August 2020, a judge ruled state police conducted an illegal search of Heberts truck and the district attorneys office dismissed drug trafficking charges that had been filed against him. An official website of the United States government. Lawmakers are trying to prevent somebody from being killed on the highway because of snow. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). Judge sets bond for 76-year-old woman accused of killing It means the call was listened to by the user with the name beside it, according to Aroostook County Sheriff Shawn Gillen. After repeated requests for an in-person interview, Gillen responded to some of the news organizations questions with a five-page letter on June 9 of this year. A gun was turned over to the Baileyville Police Department on Feb. 19, the day after the shooting, after being found by someone not involved in the incident, police said.. Police have not said where the gun was found or what kind of gun it was, but did say the casing appeared to have been fired by a small-caliber weapon. According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Andrew Adams, 31, along with others, trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties. 115 Years Ago - Feb. 27, 1908 Federal Judge Rules Jail Must Allow Access to Medication-Assisted Others justices also have shown a grasp of borrowers plight. Data show that the same individual users repeatedly selected playback on calls to Tebbetts phone number. Aroostook County voters skewed largely Republican in statewide races on Election Day. PRESQUE ISLE, Maine A deal for the purchase of the Aroostook Centre Mall may be imminent as mall tenants wait in limbo. In Tebbetts cases, the defendants on the calls with him were being prosecuted by the local district attorney or state attorney generals office. Kristin McBrearity, 27, Caribou: operating while license suspended or revoked, filed on unspecified costs; failure to register vehicle, $150 fine, $75 suspended. Aroostook County Sheriff Gillen learned of the possibility that inmate phone calls with attorneys were being recorded for the first time on May 7, 2020, in an email from a county insurance provider, according to a written statement. Aroostook County Ellen Gilland arrived on a walker during her court appearance at It shows a shocking lack of training.. Brandin P. Bouchard, 33, Presque Isle: violating condition of release, 30 days in jail. The instructions were clear, All calls except to attorneys will be monitored and recorded.. Aroostook County Courthouse, Maine | Courthouse News Service Aroostook County voters skewed largely Republican in statewide races on Election Day. Mason Burby , 21, Washburn: domestic violence assault, 364 days in jail, all but 35 days suspended, 2 years probation, $1,000 restitution; domestic violence terrorizing, 30 days in jail; criminal mischief, dismissed. The mood inside the court quiet and ceremonious was a contrast to the atmosphere outside as dozens of activists rallied in support of cancellation. The same term playback appears in records Aroostook County provided to Tebbetts and that The Maine Monitor reviewed. November Indictments for Aroostook County - The County Aroostook County Justin C. Pinette, 40, Caribou: domestic violence assault, 42 days in jail; violating condition of release, 30 days in jail. For a year, Hebert was held on house arrest. An investigation done with help from a prosecutors office determined none of the agents had operated outside of their ethical duties.. According to court records, between approximately January 2017 and August 2018, a drug trafficking organization distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Caribou. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (CNN) A judge in Florida set a $150,000 bond Thursday for a 76-year-old woman accused of shooting her terminally ill husband to death. Smiths mother borrowed more than $20,000 in federal Parent Plus loans to help her pay for college. Justin C. Pinette, 40, Caribou: violating condition of release, 7 days in jail. Paul Bagnall March 1, 2023. The state has a history of mismanaging executions. Presque Isle voters had a steady turnout at the polls during Nov. 8s midterm elections. More articles from the BDN Tagged: crime , shooting Tebbetts Law Office, is typically how she starts a conversation when a new person calls. A locked padlock He was soon back on drugs and his new wife told Maine State Police that he was dealing, court records show. The calls were professional and about his case, Simon said. County records show between October 2019 and March 2020, before the sheriff restricted access to the jails recordings, more county employees repeatedly listened to recordings of calls Hebert made to his attorney. According to court records, Joshua Jerrell,27, conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, a substance containing methamphetamine and fentanyl. Singer Sewing Machine Co. To Open New Store The Singer Sewing Machine Company will return to Houlton after an absence of several years when they open their new modern store in the Putnam-Ervin block about March 15. A man was arrested Monday evening after breaking into a persons home in Linneus. There are two potential local buyers, but their names will not be made public at this point, Presque Isle City Councilor Craig Green said Wednesday. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. A locked padlock Jeffery R. Thibodeau, Jr., 44, Limestone: theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, priors, 1 year in prison, $100 restitution; violating condition of release, 30 days in jail; burglary of a motor vehicle, 9 months in jail; operating after habitual offender revocation, 30 days in jail, $500 fine. Stephanie L. Anderson, 32, Caribou: operating while license suspended or revoked, prior, filed on unspecified costs. He was not neutered. If his office were to come into possession of privileged communications, the court has a process to review it, he said. Anyone with information about the altercation is asked to contact the Washington County Sheriffs Office at 207-255-8308. However, calls to attorneys are off-limits for recording. I want to talk to you about a cat named Julian. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( This job is hard enough to do as it is, and to have that level of privacy that is necessary, be shattered its continuing to play a role in my cases where its slowing down resolutions of cases, Tebbetts said. James Belanger III, 19, Caribou: criminal mischief, dismissed. In any instance where it became evident that an inmate was talking with their attorney, the agent stopped listening to the recording immediately, McKinney wrote in a statement to The Maine Monitor. Justin C. Pinette, 40, Caribou: assault, 20 days in jail, $300 fine; violating condition of release, 7 days in jail, $250 fine. One county employee listened to 10 recordings of Tebbetts and Heberts calls between Feb. 4 and March 16, 2020, including on days leading up to Heberts release on bail. I cant really think about my future without thinking about this huge debt, she said. (Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry The organization obtained the drugs from out-of-state sources in Colorado and Arizona. More than 20 criminal defendants in Aroostook spent weeks Devon Espling, 31, Washburn: aggravated assault, 5 years in prison all but 18 months suspended, 2 years probation, $120,000 restitution; violating condition of release, 90 days in jail. CARIBOU, Maine The following cases were heard under the Aroostook Criminal Docket at the Caribou Courthouse in March. I want to talk to you about a cat named Julian. AROOSTOOK COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPT et al ADAMS v. AROOSTOOK COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPT et al RSS Track this Docket Docket Report This docket was last retrieved on February 28, 2023. I want to talk to you about a cat named Julian. To my knowledge, and this has been verified by Securus, no phone calls between inmates and their attorneys have been recorded, downloaded, or played back since May 7, 2020 in Aroostook County, Gillen wrote. Web26 Court Street, Suite 201, Houlton, ME 04730 Contact Clerk: Jennifer Billotti Phone: (207) 532-2147 TTY: 711 Maine Relay Hours of Operation Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For Thompson,none of it is hypothetical. In an interview at the prison in 2021, Simon clutched a piece of paper with an excerpt of the call data that the Aroostook County Sheriffs Office had given Tebbetts and that The Maine Monitor had compiled from the information. Joshua Martin, the then general counsel for the company, provided a similar definition of the term playback, while testifying in 2018 as part of a federal lawsuit in Kansas. It would move her a step closer to financial stability, Thompson said, and it would eliminate the rest of her dads loans. The following cases were heard under the Aroostook Criminal Docket at the Houlton Courthouse in August. #9 Lake Trail from ITS 83 in Monticello is closed due to a logging operation. court