Bridgewater man convicted of murder demands retrial and complains of inadequate legal representation

HOULTON, Maine (WAGM) – A man found guilty of shooting his stepfather in Bridgewater in January 2018 appeared in court Thursday.

James Peaslee is currently serving a 60-year prison sentence for the murder of his stepfather. After the conviction, Peaslee filed an appeal of the verdict, but it was denied. On Thursday, he was in Houlton Superior Court to review evidence from his trial, as Peaslee claims his attorneys at the time did not provide him with effective assistance. Peaslee and his two defense attorneys from the 2019 trial – attorney Stephen Smith and attorney John Tibbetts – testified at Thursday's hearing. During Peaslee's testimony, he indicated that he felt his attorneys were not acting in his best interests. Peaslee said his attorney strongly advised him not to testify at his trial, but he believes the outcome of the trial would have been different had he testified. In addition, Peaslee raised concerns that the judge in his case, Judge Harold Stewart, was not objective in handing down the verdict. Peaslee stated that he discovered early in his trial that Judge Stewart had a familial relationship with one of the witnesses.

The State presented evidence that Peaslee had agreed not to testify under legal advice and that he had not been coerced into making that decision. In addition, attorney Tibbetts testified that Judge Stewart had disclosed his potential conflict of interest to Peaslee's attorneys prior to trial.

Both attorneys have 28 days to file a petition, after which the judge will decide whether Peaslee can be granted a new trial or another appeal.

All rights reserved.