PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Gina Lauterio
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: glauterio@prosecutorintegrity.org

AG Janet Mills Must Rein in Epidemic of Prosecutorial Abuse, Says Center for Prosecutor Integrity

WASHINGTON / August 5, 2015 – The Center for Prosecutor Integrity is today calling on Maine Attorney General Janet Mills to take action to curb the widespread misconduct among prosecutors in the state of Maine. The CPI request follows formal misconduct findings involving prosecutors Carletta Bassano, William Entwisle, and Mary Kellett. All three prosecutors were based in Ellsworth.

On July 20, 2015 the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar issued two separate findings of prosecutorial malfeasance.

The first concluded DA Carletta Bassano had disobeyed the rules of a tribunal, failed to provide discovery materials to the accused, neglected to properly supervise an attorney, and engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice: http://www.mebaroverseers.org/dah_schedule/decisions.html?id=651336

The second finding concluded that Assistant District Attorney William Entwisle had disobeyed the rules of a tribunal, failed to disclose discovery materials, and violated the Maine Rules of Professional Conduct: http://www.mebaroverseers.org/dah_schedule/decisions.html?id=651347

In 2013 the Board of Overseers of the Bar found ADA Mary Kellett had engaged in numerous types of misconduct: http://www.mebaroverseers.org/dah_schedule/decisions.html?id=562078  Her misconduct gave rise to a lawsuit against herself and several other Maine officials: http://bangordailynews.com/2015/01/10/news/court/former-gouldsboro-resident-sues-multiple-agencies-officials-over-2007-rape-case/

Prosecutorial misconduct has been documented in other parts of the state, as well. Last May, Justice Nancy Mills disqualified the entire York County District Attorney’s Office following revelations that a prosecutor had intercepted a defense attorney’s confidential documents: http://www.pressherald.com/2015/05/18/judge-kicks-york-county-das-office-out-of-domestic-violence-case/

And a domestic violence fact sheet compiled by Cumberland County DA Stephanie Anderson is known to contain erroneous information. The fact sheet states that domestic violence is the “single major cause of injury to women:” http://www.cumberlandcounty.org/213/What-Is-Domestic-Violence  In fact, falls are known to be the leading cause of female injury: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/whusa10/hstat/hi/pages/224i.html

“Ninth Circuit Court judge Alex Kozinski has decried the ‘epidemic’ of prosecutorial misconduct across the country,” notes CPI spokesman Chris Perry. “We call on Attorney General Mills to act now to rein in this epidemic of prosecutorial abuse in the state of Maine.”

The Center for Prosecutor Integrity is a national organization working to enhance prosecutor ethics, reduce over-criminalization, and bring an end to wrongful convictions: www.prosecutorintegrity.org