News

Attorney denies attorney general charge that she overbilled

Attorney denies attorney general charge that she overbilled

Photo: clipart.com


PORTLAND, Maine (AP) A prominent Maine defense attorney accused of overbilling the state for court-appointed work is denying any wrongdoing.

Amy Fairfield is being sued by the Maine attorney general for allegedly misrepresenting the hours lawyers worked on cases to earn a higher reimbursement from the state. Since January 2016, Fairfield & Associates has been paid $6.8 million by the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services.

“We work hard, and we represent people very well,” Fairfield told WMTW-TV in an interview. “I am very confident that I have done nothing wrong, and I will stand up to them.”

Her law firm with 14 attorneys in four offices has taken on roughly 3,000 new cases a year in the past. She said that typically represents about 10% of the state’s indigent caseload.

Maine is the only state without a public defender system. Instead, the state relies on a network of private attorneys to perform court-appointed work.

Fairfield exited the pool of attorneys utilized by the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services in July, when she declined to share office records as part of the investigation.

Latest Headlines

1 hour ago in Local

Dexter High School Gets 25K as Finalist in National Giveaway

Fresh

The national contest awards money to small towns to help improve athletic facilities.

1 hour ago in Local

DNC Chair Says Platner Comments Not Disqualifying

Fresh

In now-deleted Reddit posts from 2021, Platner called himself a communist among other things.

3 hours ago in Local

Police Looking for Missing Sabattus Girl

Police are searching for a missing 15-year-old girl from Sabattus. Police say the teen, Dahlia (last name hasn’t been released),…

2 days ago in Local

Graham Platner campaign manager resigns after controversial posts online resurface

Campaign Director Genevieve McDonald resigned from her post as campaign director yesterday, saying that the views expressed by Platner weren't values she could stand behind.

2 days ago in Local

Judge sentences Maine man to 38 years for the killing of his stepson

An Oxford man was sentenced Friday to 38 years behind bars for the killing of his stepson.