Blind judge Courtland Perry dies

AUGUSTA – Courtland D. Perry II, a longtime Maine District Court judge who went blind when he was a teenager, died Friday in Florida, court officials said. He was 70.

Perry served for decades as a full-time judge before stepping down several years ago and serving in an active retired capacity, said state court administrator Ted Glessner.

Perry was blinded in an accident when he was 16 and went on to graduate from college and law school. He brought his guide dog to court and took notes in Braille.

Appointed as a judge in 1976 by then-Gov. James Longley, Perry developed an expertise in cases with defendants suffering from mental illness and regularly held hearings at Riverview Psychiatric Center, the former Augusta Mental Health Institute, Glessner said. He also was an expert in issues pertaining to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Perry and his wife spent winters in Florida.

Perry’s death was unexpected, Glessner said, but he did not know the exact cause of death.