News & Press Coverage

Judge impounds record with indictment error in fatal Maine hayride accident

Portland Press Herald
July 14, 2015

Sig Schutz is quoted in this article about the chief justice of the Maine Superior Court keeping secret the document that falsely charged a South Paris man with manslaughter. The man charged was a driver in a haunted hayride accident that killed a Messalonskee High School junior in October of 2014.

Excerpt:

Sigmund Schutz, a First Amendment lawyer with Preti Flaherty in Portland, believes the document should be made public.

“Indictments are public records. Transparency is essential to maintaining public respect for the criminal justice system, ensuring its integrity and protecting the rights of the accused,” Schutz said Monday. He said a signed indictment, whether valid or not, issued by the grand jury is a public record under Maine’s court rules, as well as the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Schutz represents the Press Herald in First Amendment cases and filed a letter with the court asking that Cole reverse his decision.

Firm Highlights

News

10 Preti Attorneys, 6 Practice Groups Honored in National Rankings

Ten Preti Flaherty attorneys and six practice groups have been selected by Chambers USA for inclusion in their premiere annual list of America’s leading lawyers. Preti is recognized for excellence in the practice areas...

Publication

Maine Becomes Seventh State to Enact Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA)

Maine is now the latest state to enact the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA)—following New Jersey, Oregon (substantially similar), Utah, Hawaii, Kentucky, and Washington. UPEPA aims to provide a clear framework for the...

News

Preti’s Sig Schutz Recognized as Member of NHPR’s Pulitzer-Finalist Team

Preti First Amendment attorney Sig Schutz has been recognized as “a core member of the [NHPR] team” involved in a podcast honored as a Pulitzer Prize finalist in the audio journalism category.  The podcast...

Publication

Schutz and Harriman Author Article for MLRC on Mill's Veto of Constitutionally Fraught Legislation

In an article for the Media Law Resource Center's July 2023 Media Law Letter,  Preti Flaherty attorneys Sig Schutz and Alex Harriman explore Gov. Janet Mills' recent veto of L.D. 1610, “An Act to Prohibit Campaign Spending...

Publication

Maine Government Contracting and Procurement Update: Public Access Under FOAA to Trade Secrets in Proposals and Bid Documents

Those doing business with state, county, and local government in Maine need to know their way around public records laws. What is the risk that sensitive or proprietary business information submitted in response to...