Kennebec County settles excessive force lawsuit against jail guard
The county s insurer paid $30,000 to settle the complaint by an inmate who was pepper-sprayed in 2019.
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Kennebec County has settled a federal lawsuit brought by a man who said a jail guard used pepper spray on him and then assaulted him while he was confined in 2019.
Jonathan Afanador filed his excessive force complaint in the U.S. District Court of Maine in July. He sued the county and the individual guard, and both filed responses later that month that admitted to some basic facts in the complaint but denied most of the claims. The parties then filed a dismissal in court last month, and lawyers representing them either did not respond to inquiries or said they could not talk about the case. The manager of the county’s insurer said the settlement amount is $30,000.
Kennebec County official facing sexual assault charges has history of prior job misconduct, documents say
James Saucier, 58, of Belgrade, who has been on paid administrative leave since April 9, 2020, has a track record of misusing county property and violating direct orders.
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AUGUSTA Kennebec County’s maintenance manager is being paid through Friday despite nearly a year-long sexual assault investigation that resulted in his recent arrest and a lengthy history of disciplinary actions taken against him for prior misconduct on the job.
James Saucier
James Saucier, 58, of Belgrade, was arrested Jan. 28 on sexual assault charges involving a woman incarcerated at the Kennebec County jail who was under his supervision. He is facing three counts of gross sexual assault, Class B felony charges punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.
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Kennebec County maintenance manager sexually assaulted female inmate assigned to work for him, police allege in documents
James Saucier, 58, of Belgrade, was arrested last week on three counts of gross sexual assault in connection with the case, and the alleged victim told authorities she wasn t the first incarcerated female he had assaulted.
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The old Kennebec County Courthouse in Augusta on March 18, 2020. A county employee who works in the building has been charged with three counts of gross sexual assault of a female inmate under his supervision.
Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal file
AUGUSTA James Saucier is alleged to have raped a woman in the custody of the Kennebec County jail assigned to work for him, and that woman says she heard he sexually assaulted other inmates at the county jail too, according to an affidavit filed by Augusta police.
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The old Kennebec County Courthouse in Augusta on March 18, 2020. A county employee who works in the building has been charged with three counts of gross sexual assault of a female inmate under his supervision.
Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal file
AUGUSTA James Saucier is alleged to have raped a woman in the custody of the Kennebec County jail assigned to work for him, and that woman says she heard he sexually assaulted other inmates at the county jail too, according to an affidavit filed by Augusta police.
James Saucier
Saucier, Kennebec County’s maintenance manager, was arrested last week on three counts of gross sexual assault in connection with the allegations involving the woman.