March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Rights commission rules for deaf man

AUGUSTA — The Maine Human Rights Commission has ruled in favor of a deaf man who said he was treated unfairly during his arrest on a domestic assault charge.

George Crocker had said Lewiston police and prison officials didn’t provide an interpreter during his arrest in January 1998.

Police, however, say that during their 51 contacts with Crocker since 1991, on 34 occasions he failed to indicate that he didn’t understand police.

Police say they communicated with Crocker during the domestic assault arrest by writing notes.

But Mary Edgerton of the Maine Center on Deafness testified before the commission that Crocker didn’t understand written English beyond a first-grade level, so he didn’t understand the police process.

The commission made its ruling after a meeting earlier this month.


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