March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Prosecutor won’t pursue charge> Woman accused of violating bail conditions

CALAIS — A woman accused of shoplifting and violation of bail conditions was freed Tuesday after a prosecutor said he would not move forward with the charges while an investigation is under way.

Bridget Newman, 24, of Calais, was arrested Sunday in an alleged shoplifting case and accused of violation of bail conditions that had been imposed on her in another case.

The violation was alleged to have occurred after Calais police said Newman took $893.93 in clothes and other items from the Wal-Mart department store.

Assistant District Attorney Paul Cavanaugh said in an interview after Newman’s appearance Tuesday in 4th District Court that Newman was never formally charged by his office.

Cavanaugh said Newman was free on $5,000 bail in a burglary and aggravated forgery case when a shoplifting was reported at the Wal-Mart on Friday.

That incident still is under investigation, Cavanaugh said.

“I made the decision that no action would be taken until that investigation is completed,” he said. “The police arrested her based on probable cause that she committed a crime and that by doing so she violated her bail. That is the standard police have for making an arrest. … The standard that the [District Attorney’s Office] uses in bringing the charge is whether we think it is a charge that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt, and I don’t have that belief yet,” he said.

Cavanaugh said he would not decide whether to move forward until the Calais Police Department concludes its investigation.


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