Retired Criminal Defense Lawyer BLOG
A remedy for, and the prosecution’s role in, sixth amendment violations in Maine. Posted by Ed Folsom, March 25, 2025. In early March, Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy issued an order on the ACLU’s long-running lawsuit against the Maine Commission … Read More
The Very Strange Story of Michael Geilenfeld’s Judicial Lottery Results. Posted by Ed Folsom, February 27, 2025. (Photo: Dept. of Homeland Security via Miami Herald) Michael Geilenfeld founded the St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in 1985, in Haiti, and continued … Read More
The Ultra-Low Moral Foundation of the Fascism/Fascist Epithet. Posted by Ed Folsom, February 22, 2025. (Photo: Fox News Digital. Anti-Trump Rally, Washington D.C., January 20, 2025.) “The word Fascism has now no meaning except in so far as it … Read More
“To Overthrow the World”- Woke, “Antifascist” Monsters. Posted by Ed Folsom, February 16, 2025. “Look, let me tell you something. I’ll take a bit of umbrage here. I’ll speak on behalf of my colleagues. I think I can say we … Read More
CIA says lab leak likely, ChiComs decry politicization, conspiracy theories. Posted by Ed Folsom, January 28, 2025 (Photo: February 3, 2021, Ng Han Guan/AP, via Al Jazeera) This past weekend, news outlets reported that the CIA now assesses it likely … Read More
In Re Catherine Connors–Proposed New Rules, but What Does the Rule Mean? Posted by Ed Folsom, January 13, 2025. (Photo: Robert F. Bukaty, AP, April 12, 2018, file photo from Maine Public) The procedural background. When I last blogged on … Read More
Court Rules MCPDS Not Satisfying 6th Amendment re Appointed Counsel. Posted by Ed Folsom, January 7, 2025 Finally, there’s significant movement afoot in the ACLU’s lawsuit alleging that indigent criminal defendants in Maine are being denied their 6th Amendment right … Read More
Down is up For Crime in Maine – Does Anyone Care Why? Posted by Ed Folsom December 21, 2024. MCILS/MPDS cases rose 25% while criminal cases filed in court dropped 30%. Somehow, from fiscal year 2014 through fiscal year 2024, … Read More
Smelly Commutations & A Narrative-Unraveling Apology. In crime news this past week, we had some smelly commutations and an apology that unravels a racial-narrative tale. The smelly commutations. This past Thursday, President Biden issued federal pardons to 39 people and … Read More
Haitian Voodoo Priest Triggers Gang-Murder of 184. Posted by Ed Folsom, December 10, 2024. (Ralph Tedy Erol/Reuters, via CNN) What initially really struck me in this story was the odd assessment of UN High Commissioner Volker Türk. This past weekend, … Read More
