Jailed defendants have a legal right to privately speak with their attorneys. Yet, in Maine, county jails are eavesdropping on these calls.
Four jails recorded nearly 1,000 attorney-client calls in a single year and shared recordings with police and prosecutors before trial, a Maine Monitor investigation found. Often defense lawyers are not told when their calls are recorded and agencies lack rules about what to do once law enforcement and prosecutors eavesdrop on jailed suspects’ calls to their attorneys.
FEATURED STORY:
Study group weighs statewide solution to prevent recording of prisoners’ phone calls with lawyers
Recommendations would go to the Legislature. It comes after months of reporting by The Maine Monitor.
Maine prosecutors drop indictment amid allegations investigator ‘monitored’ attorney calls
Kennebec County memo shows investigator monitored calls a man made to his lawyer in April 2022.
Maine sheriffs adopt changes to prevent individual jails from recording confidential calls, but no statewide solution emerges
10 facilities recorded jailed defendants’ calls to attorneys, an investigation finds.
Study group to scrutinize jail, prison policies amid reports calls to lawyers were recorded
Strip searches and face-to-face meetings among the policies also being reviewed by new legislative committee.
Jury convicts Aroostook County man of 2019 double homicide in Castle Hill
Bobby Nightingale faces a possible sentence of up to life in prison.