In a surprising (or perhaps not so) turn of events, more information on a pattern of prosecutorial abuse and harassment by prosecutor Mary Kellett of the Bar Harbor, Main Prosecutor’s Office was made public this morning.
At a press conference this morning at the Penobscott Superior Court Building in Bangor, representatives from Stop Abusive and Violent Environments (S.A.V.E.) spoke, reviewing the facts in the case against Vladek Filler, a man facing his second trial for the alleged rape of his wife, Ligia Filler. The case is being prosecuted with no forensic evidence against Filler, even after it has been proven that his accuser has a history of false allegations and lost custody of the couples children because of her abuse of them.
Dr. E. Bartlett and Vladek Filler’s sister, Tatyana Roberts, spoke at the conference which was attended by The Bangor Daily News, WADI Television and the radio station for the Maine Public Broadcasting Network.
Also speaking at the press conference was Michael Webber, a local man now being prosecuted by Kellett for multiple counts of sexual assault, and his attorney, Steven Juskwitch.
In a staggering statement made by Juskwitch, it was revealed that the case against Webber is proceeding despite the fact that Webber has already been acquitted by a civil court of the same charges. In civil court, the burden of proof, the preponderance of evidence, is significantly lower than that of criminal courts in Maine, which is proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Said Juskwitch, referring to Kellett’s prosecution, “In thirty years of practice it’s the most egregious case I have ever defended.”
It is also reported from a conversation with Dr. Bartlett, that Juskwitch has defended 12 previous cases prosecuted by Kellett in which 9 of his clients were acquitted, and that he was familiar with another attorney who had also defended against 12 of Kellett’s prosecutions with all 12 being exonerated.
“It’s like she doesn’t even care if she wins,” said Bartlett, “She is just willy-nilly prosecuting anyone she can.”
This morning’s press conference comes a day after a tour of state government offices by S.A.V.E., presenting a petition bearing over 1,000 signatures to have Mary Kellett disbarred to the Office of the Attorney General, Governor Paul LePage, the Bar of Overseers of the Bar, as well as the State Senate and State Congress of Maine.
As this report is being published, Vladek Filler is in superior court presenting pretrial motions for a change of venue as well as dismissal of the case.
