Testimony In Opposition To Judge Paul Fritzsche’s Appointment To Active Retired Status On The Maine Bench

November 11, 2015

Source: Falmouth Today
By Editor:
“Our reporter has been waiting patiently for seven years to testify before the Judiciary Committee of the Maine Legislature about what Fritzsche did to protect lawyers, Peter DeTroy, Ralph Dyer, and David VanDyke from malpractice suits. After three days of testimony from lawyers, Thomas Hallett, Mary Davis (the court appointed and paid for expert witness), and VanDyke, Fritzsche came to the conclusion, in direct opposition to the Maine Bar Rules of Ethics, that both Hallett, who quoted the Rule number in his testimony, and Davis’ testimony that DeTroy could not testify, to his previous lies, in a trial (our accurate description of DeTroy’s proffered pre-trial testimony). The reason for this ruling was JUDGE FRITZSCHE doesn’t KNOW when privilege attaches. You would think that something that basic, that simple, that mundane, would be the easiest thing for any judge, even Fritzsche, to understand.

Fritzsche actually thought that the Nimpcompoop VanDyke could prepare for a trial overnight with NO witness list, NO pretrial motions, and NO clue what he would ask the first witness for the State, Peter DeTroy, who was defending VanDyke for malpractice in another case, after DeTroy made millions in the Car Test case and the Cigarette settlement case. Can you say “Quid pro quo”? Fritzsche, the hack, didn’t think VanDyke having to cross- examine his own lawyer was a conflict of interest, because VanDyke didn’t think it was conflict. Yes, we should let these two legal geniuses decide what is, and what is NOT, a conflict. Right!

Fritzsche, during his testimony, made a point that he thought Pro Se litigants should hire a lawyer. What he left out was our researcher couldn’t find one case, out of 73 reviewed, where Fritzsche ruled in favor of any Pro Se litigant. Translation: hire a lawyer even if you can’t afford one, skip paying your rent for a couple of months to pay your lawyer, and give up eating food if you have to because if you don’t hire a lawyer Fritzsche will rule against you.

The icing on the cake for this charade was several members of the Committee consulting their notes to read the PLANTED questions to give Fritzsche a chance to BS some more about what a great and caring judge he’s been for years. His resume is bereft of any litigation experience prior to being set loose on hapless Maine Defendants by Joe Brennan. The only ‘legal’ experience mentioned was house counsel for some non-profits. Just the background we need for a criminal justice on the bench. It seems Fritzsche missed class at law school when they were teaching Ethics 101 and Conflict of Interest 101, you know the part where they teach you that you CAN’T cross examine your own lawyer.

Apparently, this is the only kind of judge we can get on the bench in Maine and the Judiciary Committee eats this crap up with a spoon, and sic’s one bad judge after another on the destitute defendants of Maine.

No wonder Maine ranks 42nd in corruption in State Government with a grade of “F”.’

View video of the testimony HERE.

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Related:

07/31/15 – Retirement of Justice Paul A. Fritzsche, Click HERE

Judge Paul A. Fritzsche, York County (Me) Superior Court, Threatens Court Watcher, click here. .

In November 2012, Superior Court Justice Paul A. Fritzsche was listed as a member of the Committee on Judicial Responsibility and Disability until August 31, 2018. See post dated  NOVEMBER 18, 2012, HERE.

This indicates that Judges Fristzsche was sitting on the bench while a member of the Committee on Judicial Responsibility and Disability

As of 11-14-15 – MEMBERS AND STAFF Committee on Judicial Responsibility and Disability –
The Committee is composed of seven members who serve for one nonrenewable six-year term. Two of the members are judges (from the Superior, District, or Probate Courts), two are lawyers,and three are members of the public (including the current chairperson). The judicial members of the Committee are appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court, and the lawyer and public members are appointed by the Court upon the recommendation of the Governor. The current Committee Members are:

Dr. Anne E. Pooler, Chairperson, until February 3, 2021
Dr. Jill Gordon, until October 7, 2017
Jennifer Nichols Ferguson, Esq., until December 12, 2017
Robert E. Crowley, Esq., until August 31, 2018
Jon P. Van Hoogenstyn, until August 31, 2018
Superior Court Justice Nancy D. Mills, until August 20, 2021
District Court Judge Andre G. Janelle, until August 20, 2021
The Committee has four alternate members (one Superior Court Justice, one District Court Judge, one lawyer, and one public member) who attend Committee meetings and vote when a regular member is absent or is disqualified from participating in a particular matter. The current Alternate Members are:

Judicial:

Superior Court Justice Andrew M. Horton, until August 20, 2019
District Court Judge Susan Sparaco, until August 20, 2019
Lawyer Member:

Charles W. Smith Jr., Esq., until August 31, 2018
Lay Member:

Christine S. Gianopoulos, M.P.A., until February 3, 2021
Judicial Liaison:

Associate Justice Ellen A. Gorman, Maine Supreme Judicial Court
In addition, the Committee currently employs a part-time Executive Secretary, who is a lawyer, and an Administrative Assistant. They are:

Cabanne Howard, Executive Secretary

Is there a smell to this?

Justice Roland A. Cole Named Chief Justice Of The Superior Court

BDN reports “Superior Court Justice Roland A. Cole has been named chief justice of the Superior Court by Leigh I. Saufley, chief justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

Cole replaces the former chief justice, Thomas Humphrey, who was sworn in last week by Gov. Paul LePage as an associate justice on the state supreme court.

“I am delighted to announce that Justice Roland A. Cole has agreed to serve as chief justice of the Superior Court effective June 10, 2015,” Saufley said Tuesday in a press release. “We are very fortunate that a judge with his skills and experience is willing to take on the responsibilities of the chief justice of the Superior Court.”

Cole was appointed to the District Court bench in 1981 by Gov. Joseph E. Brennan, the press release said. He was appointed to the Superior Court bench in 1986 by Brennan. Read more HERE.

Cole will earn $126,000 a year in his new post, a raise of $5,000 over what he earned as an associate justice.

Related:

Committee on Judicial Responsibility and Disability
MEMBERS AND STAFF

The Committee is composed of seven members who serve for one nonrenewable six-year term. Two of the members are judges (from the Superior, District, or Probate Courts), two are lawyers,and three are members of the public (including the current chairperson). The judicial members of the Committee are appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court, and the lawyer and public members are appointed by the Court upon the recommendation of the Governor. The current Committee Members are:

• Dr. Anne E. Pooler, Chairperson, until February 3, 2021
• Dr. Jill Gordon, until October 7, 2017
• Jennifer Nichols Ferguson, Esq., until December 12, 2017
• District Court Judge Peter J. Goranites, until August 3, 2017
• Superior Court Justice Paul A. Fritzsche, until August 31, 2018
• Robert E. Crowley, Esq., until August 31, 2018
• Jon P. Van Hoogenstyn, until August 31, 2018

The Committee has four alternate members (one Superior Court Justice, one District Court Judge, one lawyer, and one public member) who attend Committee meetings and vote when a regular member is absent or is disqualified from participating in a particular matter. The current Alternate Members are:

Judicial:

• Superior Court Justice Roland A. Cole, until August 31, 2018
• District Court Judge Patricia G. Worth, until August 3, 2017

Lawyer Member:

• Charles W. Smith Jr., Esq., until August 31, 2018

Lay Member:

• Christine S. Gianopoulos, M.P.A., until February 3, 2021

Judicial Liaison:

• Associate Justice Ellen A. Gorman, Maine Supreme Judicial Court

In addition, the Committee currently employs a part-time Executive Secretary, who is a lawyer, and an Administrative Assistant. They are:

Cabanne Howard, Executive Secretary

Committee on Judicial Responsibility and Disability Roster (PDF)

The “fix is in”! When will the Governor “fix” this?

Who Is Judging The judges?

WGN Investigates – Chicago

A joint WGN Investigates and Medill Watchdog investigation asks the question: Who is judging Illinois’ judges? Read more, click here.

Who is judging Maine’s judges? Why judges! Members on the Committee on Judicial Responsibility and Disability include Judges Paul Fritzsche, Robert E. Crowley, Roland Cole, Peter J. Goranites, Patricia G. Worth. Is this not a conflict of interest? Judge Thomas Humphrey previously sat on the committee. He is the current Chief Justice of the Superior Courts.

The Committee on Judicial Responsibility and Disability is a Personal appointment which does not require a public hearing or approval of the State Legislature. Governor LePage must remove these members from this committee.

 

Judge Paul A. Fritzsche, York County (Me) Superior Court, Threatens Court Watcher

By: Dorothy Lafortune

Recently I  was a  courtwatcher in a case before Judge Paul A. Fritzsche.  When the defendant finished her argument she came back to where I was seated.  The courtroom was full of prisoners and attorneys.  Judge Fritzsche interrupted the court to address me personally. He stated my name and proceeded to tell me that he had seen me a few times, recently, in his courtroom. He proceeded to tell me that I could attend his hearings, as they are public, but that I would not go into his court “as an amateur attorney.”  What? I was an observer of his courtroom procedures. I am familiar with his way of  “doing business.”

I believe that Judge Fritzsche is on the hot seat in the foreclosure case of Debra Reagan v. U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION and sits in frustration.  Debby has done much work and research and has done a marvelous job at proving fraud in her case. It was apparent to me that Judge Fritzsche was attempting to get the bank’s attorney to somehow settle with Debby and he could be done with the case.  This is not an easy, slam-dunk, case for him.  He saw me courtwatching in his courtroom, along with others, but what’s on his mind?

When he saw me in court on November 6th, did he have a flashback to the Reagan case? Is he bothered about his past actions and using “today” to threaten me?

I have been pursuing the theft of my mother’s home by the same officials in Biddeford Maine who stole my home. Judge Fritzsche has participated in aiding and abetting in this theft.

A fraudulent foreclosure was entered against my mother on August 24, 1993 by Coastal Bank, Robert Hirshon counsel and former President of the ABA. She fought to her death and died before seeing justice.  The accomplices in this theft by City of Biddeford officials, James Grattelo, Atty. Harry Center, are the same officials involved in the theft of my home. Others involved,  Auctioneer William Zafirson, Atty. Jens-Peter-Bergen and York County Superior/District Court justices Fritzsche, Arthur Brennan, Robert E. Crowley and Christine Foster to name a few.  (Judge Christine Foster – complaint.)

During the fraudulent foreclosure against my mother, Coastal Bank continued to accept my mother’s monthly checks.

Police Report on the arrest of my mother for criminal trespass upon her own property, August 8, 1994. No judgment, no writ of possession.

August 17, 1994 my mother filed an Injunction and it was denied by Judge Paul Fritzsche December 6, 1994, three months after the sale of her home.

August 26, 1994 confidential memo behind closed doors.

September 1994 Notice and sale. The book and page registry of deeds numbers are not my mother’s property. Researching the records, people would find these book and page numbers referred to Kennebunkport Investment Corp. A great scheme to conceal the fraud and controversy surrounding this “taking.”

October 26, 1995 Deeds office – can’t find judgment. 

September 16, 1994 letter from D.A. Michael Cantara to Biddeford Police Chief Roger Beaupre.

November 1, 1994 Not Guilty

June 30, 1997 Maine Treasury relative to the law firm of Drummond and Woodsom.

My mother was left with the clothes on her back (like me) as Southeast Moving removed all of her belongings from her home. The Bureau of Corporations shows that Southeast Moving had not filed as a business since 1992. Everything was removed including her vehicle (which was never recovered).

Filing a complaint on any judge with the Committee on Judicial Responsibility and Disability is futile…especially today since Judge Fritzsche sits on the committee, (a new posting of members appears on this link; the older list was copied and posted below with Judge Fritzsche listed as a member until August 31, 2018) as does Robert E. Crowley, Esq. (former judge), Superior Court Justice Roland A. Cole and Charles W. Smith Jr., Esq. (atty. in the law firm of Smith, Eliott & Garmey), all involved in my cases.

Does Judge Paul Fritzsche have something on his mind for a reason?

Committee on Judicial Responsibility and Disability
MEMBERS AND STAFF
The Committee is composed of seven members who serve for one nonrenewable six-year term. Two of the members are judges (from the Superior, District, or Probate Courts), two are lawyers,and three are members of the public (including the current chairperson). The judicial members of the Committee are appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court, and the lawyer and public members are appointed by the Court upon the recommendation of the Governor. The current CommitteeMembers are:

Dr. Anne E. Pooler, Chairperson, until February 3, 2021
Dr. Jill Gordon, until October 7, 2017
Jennifer Nichols Ferguson, Esq., until December 12, 2017
District Court Judge Peter J. Goranites, until August 3, 2017
Superior Court Justice Paul A. Fritzsche, until August 31, 2018
Robert E. Crowley, Esq., until August 31, 2018
Jon P. Van Hoogenstyn, until August 31, 2018
The Committee has four alternate members (one Superior Court Justice, one District Court Judge, one lawyer, and one public member) who attend Committeemeetings and vote when a regular member is absent or is disqualified from participating in a particular matter. The current Alternate Members are:

Judicial:

Superior Court Justice Roland A. Cole, until August 31, 2018
District Court Judge Patricia G. Worth, until August 3, 2017
Lawyer Member:

Charles W. Smith Jr., Esq., until August 31, 2018
Lay Member:

Christine S. Gianopoulos, M.P.A., until February 3, 2021
Judicial Liaison:

Associate Justice Ellen A. Gorman, Maine Supreme Judicial Court
In addition, the Committee currently employs a part-time Executive Secretary, who is a lawyer, and an Administrative Assistant. They are:

Cabanne Howard, Executive Secretary