ALFRED, Maine — A judge from outside York County has been assigned to preside over the promotion of prostitution case involving Thomaston insurance company owner Mark W. Strong Sr.
Superior Court Justice Joyce Wheeler, who usually works in Cumberland County, will oversee the Strong proceedings, according to Mary Ann Lynch, government and media counsel for the Maine Judicial Department.
Lynch said it is not unusual for a judge to be assigned specifically to a high-profile case.
The court spokeswoman also stressed that the judges do not know who will be witnesses in the prostitution case but that if a judge did know any of the witnesses they might have to be recused from hearing the case. She said, however, that no judge has asked to be recused and no one has asked a judge to be recused.
A hearing is scheduled for Friday at the York County Superior Court in Alfred on a motion by Strong’s attorney Daniel Lilley to have the case dismissed because the district attorney’s office has failed to turn over evidence to allow the defense to prepare for court.
Strong, 56, was arrested in July and charged with the Class D offense of promotion of prostitution. The charge carries a maximum possible penalty of a year in jail.
Strong has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
State police stated in an affidavit filed in court in order to obtain an arrest warrant for Strong that Strong had a significant business and personal connection with the woman who ran the Zumba dance studio in Kennebunk that police allege was involved in prostitution.
No one else has been charged in the case. Police have gotten the court to seal until the end of November the affidavits used to obtain a search warrant of the Zumba studio, the office for the business, and the woman’s home.
Lilley said he has heard that there are 150 to 200 names on the client list maintained by the woman.
Lilley said Strong, who also is licensed as a private investigator, had been hired by the woman to investigate alleged harassment by Kennebunk police against her. Kennebunk police have denied the claim.
Like it or not, the York County DA’s Office is screwed. They have to, by law (Brady vs Maryland) turn over everything that they recovered to the defense in order for Strong to get a fair trial. The only exception is when the crime that is being arraigned or tried, which is real rare given the time involved, is when there is an on-going crime or offense being investigated. Given what has been seen so far, it would appear that the York County DA’s Office is trying to hide the client list of the ‘House’. As far as public exposure when it comes out in Court, well, if the New York Attorney General can survive it so can Mainer’s so just get on with it.
What is a big surprise, and a good piece of Judging, is that there is now an Outside Judge hearing the case so as to prevent any later kind of claiming Juducial Misconduct to taint the proceeding’s. Someone, it would appear, has begun to actually listen to The Constitution and it’s intent, Good for Judge Wheeler.
I want to see the client list… This is going to be a blast… Divorce court lawyers are going to make a fortune.. But my best guess is that the new judge will say, It will not benefit the people of Maine to bring this case to trial.. so it’s dismissed….. the list must have doctors/lawyers/educators/business owners and politicans on it…. I hope he is being careful to protect himself..
Veeeeerrrrry interestingggg !
Wouldn’t it be wild if a York County judge is on the client list?
Maybe that’s the reason the case was specially assigned to a Cumberland County judge, and a female at that.
One more thing that might help them conceal the list of patrons, Is if the judge declares them victims.
Good one, push! I can hear it now, “But your honor,after I gave her the money, I never, ever thought she’d rape me.”
What if some of the people on the list are now deceased? Will their names still be there? I have a suspicion that a prominent person with family ties to Kennebunk committed suicide because of this nasty piece of business.
why wouldn’t the names be there?? out all of them… probably elites would hate common folk.. time to even the justice field.. They arrest pot smokers and name them…
Mr. Strong:
Don’t do the crime if, you can’t do the time.
I wonder whose political career will fall first? Hmmmm.