LITIGATION NATION

Srey poised to sue

By Noah Bruce

How much is 18 months in jail and a ruined reputation worth to you? According to Portland lawyer Daniel Lilley, these indignities are worth “somewhere in the seven figures” to his client Seiha Srey, who was held in adult jail longer than any other minor awaiting trail in state history. Srey, who was charged with murdering Robert Joyal in April of 1998, never had his day in court because the state dropped the case due to lack of evidence. According to Lilley, Srey will file suit against the City of Portland, Portland Police Department, and the Maine State Attorney General’s Office in “the next 10 business days.”

“We’re suing Chitwood and the City of Portland” says Lilley, “because he and his officers did not investigate appropriately. They did not follow the natural leads and they framed this guy because of a quest to be heroes. Chitwood likes to announce that a crime is solved and the city is saved thanks to him riding in on his white horse.”

According to a notice sent from Lilley’s office in July of 2000, Srey is suing the city, the police, and the attorney general’s office for withholding exculpatory information — “information tending to demonstrate that Srey was, in fact, not the murderer of Robert Joyal” from the defense. The notice claims that officials “deliberately and maliciously” failed to provide the defense with transcripts of interviews with witnesses that pointed to Srey’s innocence.

Lilley says that after the ordeal Srey tried to go back to school but was so far behind that he became frustrated and dropped out.

“He had missed two years of school and was so far behind he essentially lost his teenage schooling years,” says Lilley.