Jury deliberates sex case against ex-Lubec coach

MACHIAS – The Washington County Superior Court jury took three hours Wednesday afternoon to deliberate 10 sex charges faced by a former coach and teacher in Lubec, then called it a day.

The eight men and four women serving in Gregory Maker’s case are scheduled to return to the courtroom at 9 a.m. today.

Maker, 43, of Trescott, is on trial for sex allegations involving three young men, two of them athletes he coached at Lubec High School and the third his nephew from a previous marriage.

The alleged victims are now 23, 21 and 17. The alleged incidents took place between 1997 and 1999 for the oldest boy; in the fall of 1999 for the 21-year-old; and between 2000 and 2002 for the youngest boy.

Two of the alleged victims have learning disabilities. They described how they got through their classes with adjustments for special education.

Maker took the stand on Tuesday in his own defense, testifying that none of the incidents described by the alleged victims took place.

Wednesday, Maker’s attorney Sandra Collier of Ellsworth, presented two colleagues who described Maker’s character as “truthful.”

Cutler residents Greg Marsh, who is the principal at Jonesboro Elementary School, and Kristan Porter, a lobsterman and selectman, both said they had known Maker since their childhoods. They testified that they had spoken with many others around the Cutler, Trescott and Lubec area through the years who had similar character impressions of Maker.

In a moment with the justice without the jury present, Collier had tried to introduce two more witnesses who would suggest that one of the alleged victims had an “untruthful” reputation. But Justice E. Allen Hunter did not allow them to give such evidence.

The two, Ryan McGonigal and Michael Franz, both live in Machiasport. Now both 24, they had been teammates in cross country in Lubec with the alleged victim during September 1999. Hunter determined that their impressions of the alleged victim had been based on their contact with him years earlier and were not recent enough to make a credible judgment of his current reputation.

Once off the stand, Marsh and Porter joined about 18 other supporters from Cutler to watch the finish of the trial and wait for a verdict.

In closing arguments, First Assistant District Attorney Paul Cavanaugh asked jurors to consider the question, “Did it happen?” as many as 10 times – one for each count.

“You have got to consider the charges and each of the young men independent of the others,” Cavanaugh told the jurors.

“While there are 10 charges, there is only one verdict, and that is guilty.”

In her closing argument, Collier pointed out conflicts and differences in the young men’s testimony.

“If he has that wrong,” she said about one point by one of the alleged victims, “how can you believe the rest of his story?

“I ask you to acquit Greg Maker. The state has failed on multiple grounds to prove the charges. Greg Maker did not commit those acts.”

The jury foreman, who was the last to leave, nearly took along the paperwork of six exhibits as he left the courtroom – until Hunter called to him as he neared the door.

“Is that the exhibits you’re taking with you?,” the justice asked, seeing papers sticking out of the man’s tote bag.

“Yes, I don’t want them floating around,” the foreman answered in earnest, not realizing his gaffe. Then Hunter instructed him to leave them behind for the bailiff to lock in the jury room overnight.