Trial and Error

Nov 27, 2007

It’s been nearly 20 years since Dennis Dechaine was arrested, tried and convicted for the kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Sarah Cherry in Bowdoinham.

And still the case continues to generate controversy.

The latest flare-up has little to do with Dechaine’s attempts to get a new trial, but it could have a big effect on Maine’s right-to-know law.

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is reviewing a case that asks whether an independent commission, created by a state official, should be allowed to keep its notes and other records out of the public eye. The case is expected to be heard in January.

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