Maine lawmakers debate ending qualified immunity for police
Thursday’s public hearing showed a sharp divide between critics of police actions and supporters of those in law enforcement. Author: Don Carrigan Updated: 9:17 AM EDT April 30, 2021
AUGUSTA, Maine A hot national issue was front and center in Augusta on Thursday, as lawmakers were asked to end qualified immunity for Maine police officers.
Qualified immunity is a legal process that lets a judge decide if a public official, including a law enforcement officer, should be protected from a civil lawsuit by victims in a specific civil rights case. Thursday’s public hearing showed a sharp divide between critics of police actions and supporters of those in law enforcement.
Maine lawmakers could limit or eliminate legal protection for law enforcement
The Legislature heard opposing arguments Thursday on bills to change qualified immunity, a legal standard that protects police officers from lawsuits.
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Legislators in Maine have joined lawmakers in more than two dozen states and the U.S. Congress in considering ending or limiting qualified immunity, the legal defense often used to shield police officers from lawsuits.
Qualified immunity has no bearing on whether a prosecutor charges a police officer with a crime, but it does affect whether that officer can be sued for civil rights violations. The U.S. Supreme Court created the concept more than 50 years ago to protect government employees from frivolous litigation, but it has expanded in case law over decades. It has come under new scrutiny, especially since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year, as activists push for greater accountability when police officers use excessive force.
Four police officers fatally shot Jason Gora, 44, last February following a car chase in Minot Author: Gabrielle Mannino (NEWS CENTER Maine) Published: 12:11 PM CDT April 7, 2021 Updated: 12:16 PM CDT April 7, 2021
AUGUSTA, Maine After a year-long investigation and pressure from family and journalists, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey has determined the police-involved shooting last February in Minot was justified.
On February 2, 2020, Sergeant Jon Guay, Deputy Matthew Noyes, and Deputy Darian Nadeau of the Androscoggin County Sheriff s Office, and Sergeant Alfred Daigle of the Mechanic Falls Police Department, shot Jason Gora, 44, of Auburn after a high-speed car chase.
According to a press release immediately following the incident, the officers were looking for Gora who was reported missing and was reported to be in a compromised state of mind. Gora was also reported to be armed, according to police.
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Maine attorney general finds officers justified in fatal shooting in Minot
Jason Gora s family in Auburn called police over concerns that he was expressing suicidal thoughts and was a danger to himself.
Associated Press
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AUGUSTA Maine’s top prosecutor will not bring criminal charges against four law enforcement officers who fatally shot an Auburn man holding a knife that they say they thought was a firearm.
Attorney General Aaron Frey said in a letter on Monday that the four officers were justified in shooting Jason Gora, 44, in Minot in February 2020, WGME-TV reported. The officers were initially placed on paid leave following the shooting.
Four police officers fatally shot Jason Gora, 44, last February following a car chase in Minot Author: Gabrielle Mannino (NEWS CENTER Maine) Published: 1:11 PM EDT April 7, 2021 Updated: 1:16 PM EDT April 7, 2021
AUGUSTA, Maine After a year-long investigation and pressure from family and journalists, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey has determined the police-involved shooting last February in Minot was justified.
On February 2, 2020, Sergeant Jon Guay, Deputy Matthew Noyes, and Deputy Darian Nadeau of the Androscoggin County Sheriff s Office, and Sergeant Alfred Daigle of the Mechanic Falls Police Department, shot Jason Gora, 44, of Auburn after a high-speed car chase.
According to a press release immediately following the incident, the officers were looking for Gora who was reported missing and was reported to be in a compromised state of mind. Gora was also reported to be armed, according to police.