Kennebec County Sheriff’s case established for trial in Skowhegan

Skowhegan – A Pittston man accused of sending the Kennebec County sheriff who threatens the messages for several years, his case is heard before a judge this week.

Nicholas J. Worthing’s trial, 37, accused of a class C -harassment account, is scheduled to start Tuesday morning at the Superior Court of Somerset County.

Nicholas J. Worthing, on the left, listens while his defense lawyer Jeremy Pratt speaks during a 2023 hearing at the capital of capital in Augusta. Worthing goes to trial on Tuesday at the Palace of Justice of Somerset County, accused of harassing the Kennebec County Sheriff, after reaching an agreement to take the case from Kennebec County. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal Archive

The Worthing case has continued in the Court for more than three years, since it has gone through almost a dozen defense lawyers appointed by the Court and several efforts to dismiss the charges and the case moved to Kennebec county.

The prosecutors withdrew the most severe of two positions of harass Previously opposed to a request to move it.

Meanwhile, the judges have continued to appoint lawyers for Worthing, even after a warning Worthing after appointing their tenth lawyer who was at risk of losing his right to a lawyer.

Worthing has renounced his right to jury trial, so a judge will determine the facts and the verdict in a banking trial.

The current defense lawyer of Worthing, Ryan Rutledge, of the Skowhegan Mills, Shay, Lexier & Talbot law firm, did not immediately return a message that remained with his office and an email sent on Monday.

Worthing, who He declared himself guilty of harassment at the minor crime level of a state soldier in 2018He was arrested in August 2021 for the position of class C harass, as shown in the judicial records.

Published an cash bail of $ 10,000 and one Kennebec County GrandThey show the judicial records.

In both aspects, the accusation claimed that Worthing was dedicated to behavior “that would make a reasonable person feared bodily injuries or fears the body relationship with a close relationship”, between January 8, 2017 and August 3, 2021.

In class B count, which prosecutors dismissed last year quoting tax discretion, that conduct was addressed to the Sheriff of Kennebec Ken Mason county and the soldier of the State Police of Maine Eric Verhille.

In class C count, the remaining position, Mason is the issue of the alleged Worthing’s behavior.

The Lieutenant of the State Police of Maine, Patrick Hood, wrote in an affidavit that supports the 2021 arrest order for Worthing that Worthing was sending threatening messages to the agents of the law through the Facebook page of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office. Dozens of messages full of blasphemies containing threats joined the affidavit. Many make statements that Mason and other law agents have bothered children.

One, sent after the police served Worthing with a cessation harassment notice, says in part: “The next policeman I see that I will kill.”

Mason, the sheriff, said at that time I wasn’t sure why Worthing lashed out, apart from that, he doesn’t like law agents. Worthing’s behavior crossed the protected speech line under the first amendment, Mason said.

However, Worthing lawyers have argued multiple occasions that messages are protected from speech under the first amendment and have tried to dismiss charges.

In August 2024, Liam Harrigan, Worthing’s lawyer at that time, advocated the dismissal of the remaining class C count, writing that Worthing’s messages sent to Mason did not constitute “true threats.” Harrigan also argued that the alleged conduct did not constitute stalking as defined in the State Statute.

Judicial records show that the Superior Court of the Supreme Court Robert E. Mullen denied the motion to dismiss the position in November. Mullen also denied a separate request to prohibit prosecutors from using messages that do not explicitly name as evidence.

In question it has also been where the case will be judged, given the position of Mason as Sheriff of Kennebec County. In Maine, cases are generally processed in the county where the alleged crimes occurred.

In April 2023, Jeremy Pratt, Worthing’s lawyer at that time, He argued that a judge in Kennebec County that supervises the trial can be partial Because they can be familiar with Mason and other officers involved in the case.

The prosecutors did not agree. The judge of the Superior Court, Daniel Mitchell, then judge of the District Court, said it was an example of a judge who presided in a Kennebec County Court at that time that had no connection with the officers involved.

Mitchell denied the request to change the place.

However, in May 2024, both parties agreed to request that the case be transferred to Somerset County, recognizing the prejudice against Worthing in Kennebec County. It is not clear, according to judicial presentations, why prosecutors changed course.

Worthing opposed the case, while prosecutors said they had no problems with that place, according to judicial presentations. Kennebec and Somerset counties are under the fiscal jurisdiction of the Maleoney District Prosecutor.

As for the various defense lawyers of Worthing, many have summoned in their requests to withdraw from the case that Worthing ‘requested it or due to a collapse in their relationship with him. Two wrote in presentations that Worthing filed complaints against them before the Maine commission about homeless legal services.

In an order that explains his decision to appoint Worthing’s tenth lawyer in November, Mullen wrote that the case has a “somewhat complicated and problematic story.”

“Some of the reasons why the defendant has had ten lawyersThey are due to circumstances beyond their control; However, the defendant has had a competent lawyer who represents his interests in this matter, and has chosen to terminate his services on multiple occasions, including his ninth lawyer, ”said Mullen.

“This will now stop, or in the absence of extraordinary circumstances that the defendant may well face the reality of representing himself in this trial, although with a lawyer waiting to help the accused if he is asked to do so.”

The lawyer Mullen then designated, Thomas A. Tilton, retired a few weeks later, citing Worthing’s request.