..."I lost my balance and slipped on the slippery hardwood floor..."Previous post:
[ME] Maine Trooper Sgt. Sawyer was arrested for felony domestic violence - Maine State Police sergeant Mark Sawyer is on administrative leave, charged with felony aggravated domestic assault. It's "aggravated" because of her (the victim's) injuries...
OAKLAND Officer's wife recants assault claim
Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel
BY BETTY ADAMS
04/15/2009
AUGUSTA -- A Maine State Police sergeant has denied assaulting his wife, and his attorney gave a judge a sworn statement Monday from the woman saying it never happened. Mark Sawyer, 43, of Winthrop, a trooper who works in the commercial vehicle enforcement unit, originally was charged by Oakland police with aggravated domestic assault relating to a March 16 incident in which Sawyer's wife, Michelle Sawyer, 35, suffered a fractured collar bone at the couple's Oakland home. The felony charge was reduced Monday to a misdemeanor offense of assault, to which Mark Sawyer pleaded not guilty in Kennebec County Superior Court Tuesday morning. His attorney, Michael Turndorf, told the judge Michelle Sawyer was in the courtroom and prepared to testify about the events that led to her injury. Justice Nancy Mills declined to hear from her, but accepted her sworn statement, which was made at the Oakland Police Department two days after the incident. "I lost my balance and slipped on the slippery hardwood floor, crashing down between the kitchen island and a large box that was sitting next to the island," Michelle Sawyer wrote. Deputy District Attorney Alan Kelley said the statement was the result of pressure. "It's not unusual for domestic violence victims to recant," he said. Kelley argued successfully for a ban on contact between the Sawyers... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence recant recanted]
COUNTY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ABUSE CASE AGAINST TROOPER
ReplyDeletemorningsentinel.mainetoday.com
08/03/2009
I would like to know why the Kennebec County district attorney, police, etc. did not "take over" the recent domestic assault case against the Maine state trooper [Mark Sawyer], when the wife changed her story. I believe that wives are "not allowed" to change their story about abuse. If they even try to change the details, I believe they are accused of trying to "protect" the abuser, the state takes over the case and seeks to prosecute anyway. I believe that they do not accept changes to abuse stories. So why and how did this case get resolved without the D.A. or the state intervening? Is this another example of justice being swayed because of "who you are"?Abuse is still abuse no matter what job the abuser holds.
Debra Thibeault
Abbot
http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/view/letters/6658102.html