AUBURN, Maine — A jury found frequent Lewiston mayoral candidate Charles Soule not guilty Monday of a misdemeanor assault charge in connection with an incident where he said he had come to the aid of a child.
Soule, 59, of Bartlett Street was charged with assault after a Lewiston police officer said he witnessed Soule pick up a young boy, then slam him to the ground last year. The boy didn’t require hospital treatment.
Soule said he had scuffled with the 8-year-old boy, but said he had done so in defense of a smaller boy. He had been sitting in front of his home when he saw two groups of kids begin a street shoving match, he said.
When one of the kids started to put another one in a choke hold, Soule took action, he told the Sun Journal in an earlier interview. What might have looked like an assault was actually the boy slipping and falling, Soule had said.
The trial lasted about three hours in Androscoggin County Superior Court. The jury deliberated for more than an hour. In repeated notes to the judge, jurors asked that the legal definition of “assault” be read back twice before acquitting Soule.
Prosecutors called to the witness stand several people, including the arresting officer and the boy, now 10 years old, who police said was the victim of Soule’s assault.
Soule took the stand and his attorney, Lorne Fairbanks, called several witnesses who said they witnessed the incident, including two children and a neighbor.
Soule made an unsuccessful run for mayor last year after the incident. He has been a frequent candidate for elective office in local politics.
Brother, once ya get punk’d over a squabble with an 8 year-old, best quit running for public offices.
Soule , (ex) candidate , always looking out for the kids.
I don’t know this guy,but boy,he sure sounds like a tough s.o.b.
Lewiston’s current mayor is the best they’ve ever had. This man’s time is better spent refereeing schoolyard scraps. Let the current mayor do his job and tell it like it is like our brave Governor!
Since he was acquitted, maybe the situation was as he described it? In which case he deserves some thanks for acting as a concerned adult where many would have turned their backs.
I’d really like to believe that. Unfortunately, I think too many of us have witnessed favoritism for certain people to take this verdict without questioning it. I will say that if “several neighbors” witnessed his attack in all probability they witnessed the attack on the smaller boy who was put in a choke hold. What were they doing while this was going on?
Well, if this verdict had been handed down by a judge, your concerns might be valid. But this was a unanimous verdict by a jury of 12 random citizens, not people of political clout who care about whether or not the guy was a politician.
I hadn’t thought of that…you are right. Like I said, my skepticism on justice may be a little skewed after years of watching people get away with murder. Literally
favoritism? Doesn’t sound like the electorate favored him.
Sorry, the ‘Thanking Politicians Line’ forms elsewhere, the last politician I had an inkling of hope for was killed in Dallas. “The situation as described” appears to say he body-slammed an eight year-old kid — any grown-up who can’t deal with kids better than that is in rough shape. Sounds like he’d fit in as a security guard at WalMart, tho.
Like it makes sense that he was randomly just decide to “body slam” a kid for no good reason. Use your brain.
Check it out Wolf — aside from being attacked with a hatchet I can’t come up with one good reason to body-slam an eight year old kid. Can you? If so, ya best not speak about brains too often.
But it seems that body-slamming an eight-year old is what the jury found he didn’t do.
“The situation as described”…by one person who must not have been that close or he would have been intervening. Interesting that you would ignore the fact that several witnesses testified for both sides and the jury found him not guilty.
Not my thanks.
Guess there’s different laws for politicans and then regular people.
Either the same laws apply to everyone or no one, this court system is FUBAR, and full of favortism and needs to come to stop.
He was charged by a police officer, prosecuted by the DA’s office and found not guilty by a jury. Where is the favoritism? Must have been a conspiracy by all of the jurors.
Well I know a guy who happened upon a fight and pulled a kid out of the fight by his belt (the kids belt). That was it, no throwing to the ground or anything but was arrested and convicted of assult on a minor. Would you convict a mayor? Probably not since they have your name and address.
FINISH HIM
No good deed is left unpunished!