Grandma arrested / Escessive Use of Force - My Fundraiser

My GoFundMe campaign was previously paused...though it appears it's back, and I just updated it. 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/Maine-activist-arrested.

Consider donating, and sharing my campaign with your favorite news station, reporter, legislator, or anyone you think would be interested. 

Here are a few emails you might want to send my story to, just copy the link above. 

info@ACLUMaine.org ACLU

pds@maine.gov Maine Commission for Public Defense Services 

8investigates@wmtw.com  WMTW

TellMeMore@mainepublic.org Maine Public Broadcasting publiccomment@lewistonmaine.gov Lewiston City Council

I hope for more support this time around, not only monetary but to share and get national attention on the issue of parental alienation and give hope for to other grandparents and parents who have been kept from children they love. 

If anyone wants to write to Shane, I'm sure he'd appreciate hearing from you. His birthdate is needed if you want to deposit money...the link is at the top of my blog. 

Shane Michaud 72847  D.O.B 9-24-88

807 Cushing Road

Warren ME 04864

My email to the ACLU regarding excessive force and cruel and unusual punishment

There is a case pending in Maine Supreme Court, filed by the ACLU regarding warrantless arrests. You can read about Gaul v York County here.

The plaintiff, Caleb Gaul, claims he received a payout from law enforcement. On July 14, 2025 I posted a link to his facebook post, but just checked it and apparently he removed the video. 

Regarding the right to counsel, the ACLU filed a lawsuit over 3 years ago, on behalf of defendants facing jail time who were not appointed attorneys; Robbins v State of Maine has been certified as a class action lawsuit.  

Below is my email of 8-30-25 to the ACLU, and it includes my complaint to the Chief of Police of Lewiston, David St. Pierre, who announced his retirement soon after I handed the complaint to him at council meeting on 7-15-25. Despite that I notified him that the warrants were obtained without good reason, and asked Chief St. Pierre to investigate, he sent officers to arrest me the following day! I wasn't home and later turned myself in on July 17, paying the $560 "pay not to stay" fee called bail. 

On 8-30-25 I wrote to the ACLU (info@ACLUMaine.org) regarding the multiple arrests of me, based on false claims. 

Paula Michaud <paulajmichaud@gmail.com>

10:51 AM 

You have a case pending in Maine Supreme Court regarding warrantless arrests. I was arrested last summer after my family and I were threatened by a tenant. No warning was given to the tenant, but I was arrested without probable cause or a warrant, based on nothing but the guy's lies. I was charged with disorderly conduct. The police officer never made a report of the threat that I had received through text message. I spent 4 nights and 4 days in Aroostook County jail over Memorial Day weekend for failing to appear to pick a jury for this malicious prosecution.

In Aroostook County jail, I was thrown in the hole and left there for 18 hours for not complying with processing; I failed to tell where I was born. In the hole I had a hole in the floor for a toilet, and I was being choked by the vapors from my urine until finally a guard pushed the flush button after I complained. I did not get to make a phone call until Tuesday afternoon just before my release. The D.A. dismissed the charges saying that I'd suffered the consequences for failing to appear. 

No attorney could be appointed to me, the judge in Fort Kent District Court said at my initial appearance, because the state wasn't asking for jail time. The appointment should be based on whether the charges could result in jail time; obviously I did spend time in jail, so can I get an attorney appointed now? I never gave up my right to a jury trial, which cannot be withdrawn without the consent of both parties, MRCP 38 e. Furthermore, most people even if they can initially afford a retainer fee will be poor by the time a case is concluded.  

I am now being prosecuted based on other false claims; and the Lewiston police have arrested my three times due to the false claims. One of those arrests resulted in breaching of my door for failing to comply with what is another false arrest and malicious prosecution.

I would like the ACLU's assistance. 

I spoke again at a special meeting last night in Lewiston

On 8-26-25 a special meeting was held to discuss the hiring of a new police chief. I spoke at about 10 minutes, 52 minutes, and 1 hour 23 minutes in. The 8-26-25 meeting was streamed and you can view it here. 

I spoke at council meeting on April 1 also, just two days after Lewiston officers breached my door. Here is a link to the meeting minutes, in which I'm mentioned on page 1 and 3. 

On July 15, I spoke again; and I handed the chief of police, David St. Pierre, my complaint. Those minutes haven't been posted yet, said the new city administrator Bryan Kaenrath, who is a former legislator and was mayor of Waterville. He said the meeting on July 15, lasted 8 hours and that was why it was taking so long to approve and post the minutes. As there was a warrant for my arrest at the time, I left immediately after I gave St. Pierre my complaint. Today I found the Youtube video of the 7-15-25 meeting. I speak at 2:41 seconds into the meeting; we were there longer but the council had gone into executive session prior to that and the recording was paused. 

In my complaint, I claim that Lewiston police on March 24 and 30 of 2025 acted on warrants that were based on false claims. Nonetheless, the next morning, July 16 St. Pierre sent officers to my apartment building to arrest me. I wasn't home; Pete called to tell me, and I turned myself in the next afternoon...my freedom costing me $560. 

The arrest warrant in Lincoln County was issued after I failed to appear for my arraignment on June 12 on charges of stalking and violation of a protection order. I called the court on June 11 to report that I was unable to appear due to an obstruction in my eye that happened while Pete and I were removing a bush at our property in Saint Agatha. Also eye drops that I had started using had caused much irritation in both eyes.

At the meeting last night I mentioned the threat I had received from a tenant in Aroostook County last summer, and how Lewiston officers did not consider the message to be a threat when it clearly was. Finally I asked for accountability, and new ways to handle protection from abuse orders. I mentioned that alienation of good people from children's lives may be contributing to child abuse and neglect in Maine.