Governor Mills appointed a Commission to investigate the apparent failures in Maine to find Robert Card and take his firearms...despite that there were many warnings that he would commit a mass shooting.
Who was Robert Card? Confirmed details on Maine gunman
I have concerns about all three of the judges who are on the Commission! And on Monday, November 20, 2023 I went to the capital where they met at 10 am, and I asked whether these judges, who are not even accountable in their own professions, should be on the Commission.
Justice Ellen Gorman is the judge who dismissed my son's medical malpractice case when she was a Superior Court justice in Androscoggin County. The misdiagnosis was something anyone could understand; however she gave summary judgment to the hospital/doctors, denying him a trial. We appealed to the Maine Supreme Court.
You can read the decision here: Aaron Michaud v. Blue Hill Memorial Hospital et al. That's not the only bad decision she's made, but it's the most obvious, and egregious. Medical malpractice screening panels have been ruled in Pennsylvania to be unconstitutional delay of a person's right to trial.
Justice Daniel Wathen: He was in the majority when the Maine Supreme Court issued a decision in June of 1998, in Kingsbury v. Forbes. Following is part of the dissent in the decision affirming the dismissal of a man's appeal, though it was admitted that it was the court's fault that there wasn't any progress made in the case in two years. From the dissent in that opinion:
[¶ 11] A pro se party who has complied with the requirements of the rules and reasonably has placed the responsibility for the next step in the proceedings in the hands of the court, in my opinion, has demonstrated the good cause necessary to prevent dismissal pursuant to M.R.Civ.P. 41(b). Holding pro se litigants involved in small claims actions to the technical requirements of Rule 41(b) in circumstances where the court system has failed to fulfill its own responsibilities defeats the goal of providing a litigant-friendly procedure to resolve small claims disputes. I would therefore vacate the judgment of the Superior Court.
Lastly, Judge Geoffrey Rushlau: He granted a protection from abuse order against me last year! All I had done was try to communicate with my son's ex girlfriend so that I could see my grandchildren who only live one hour away. She has ignored mine and my son's requests to see the children for more than two years! Prior to moving to Waldoboro and getting a new boyfriend, she was leaving the children with me on weekends... and sometimes even despite that I told her I was unavailable! Because their father lived with us, she said I could not prevent her from bringing them. He was often incapable of caring for his sons.
After that protection order expired, she applied for another one, but Judge Brent Davis denied her request on October 3, 2023; this time she alleged that she was afraid I would hurt her to get to the children, or kidnap them. Ridiculous. However, since she has sole custody of the children, how can I see them if she ignores my messages? I've never even driven by her new home. I hate to go through the courts, because that wouldn't be good for my grandsons. I've begged her to come to some agreement with me, to allow contact again.
That's not all I have for you regarding Judge Rushlau however. The following is a story concerning him and others. At the time, he was District Attorney for four Maine counties! The case was apparently settled. Maine taxpayers are the ones who end up paying when judges and other Maine government employees misbehave.
Former Lincoln County Employee Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit.
Rushlau forced her to resign in December 2014 under false and misleading pretenses, according to court documents.
Regarding Governor Mills and my attendance at the meeting regarding the newly formed Commission, I forgot to ask if they would be paid and where the money would come from.
Only a few other members of the public spoke at the meeting. I mentioned that there should be some in-between for people who are a danger to society but not yet incarcerated... or those who are released from jail or prison, but who may still pose a significant danger to society. Many prisoners have histories of violence, substance abuse, or have mental illness.
In April, 2023 another Maine man, who had just been released from prison, shot and killed his parents and two other individuals, as well as injured total strangers.
Police: Maine man killed parents before firing on motorists