Josh Keefe

17 posts

Josh Keefe is a government accountability reporter for The Maine Monitor with a focus on Maine’s child welfare system and indigent defense system.

Previously, he worked as an investigative reporter for The Tennessean in Nashville and Bangor Daily News. Originally from Veazie, he now lives in Portland.

His accountability reporting on Tennessee’s child welfare system, Maine county law enforcement, and the Maine Army National Guard has been recognized by the Sidney Hillman Foundation, New England First Amendment Coalition, Maine Press Association and Tennessee Press Association.

Contact Josh with questions, concerns or story ideas: josh@themainemonitor.org

exterior of the Drummond Woodsum law offices.

The Maine Supreme Court asked large law firms for help. They didn’t.

“I think that the idea that fat cat lawyer law firms can send their trial lawyers into court to defend these criminal cases is not realistic. They’d be unqualified to do it.”

ByJosh Keefe

July 28, 2024

Across Maine, judges are deciding when the lack of an attorney becomes a constitutional violation

The Monitor has identified 10 cases in Androscoggin and Aroostook counties where judges have found Sixth Amendment violations, and there are likely more.

ByJosh Keefe

July 7, 2024

Frayla Tarpinian and Hillary Knight pose for a photo in front of a sign for the public defender's office.

Six months in, Maine’s first public defenders’ office talks strategy

“I think we are fighting a cultural battle here.”

ByJosh Keefe

June 15, 2024

The exterior of the judicial facility in Cumberland County.

“Maine has lost sight of parents’ and children’s right to be together”: The case of Barni A.

A state supreme court case found a mother’s parental rights were unfairly terminated, providing a rare glimpse inside the opaque child welfare system.

ByJosh Keefe

May 26, 2024