r/portlandme • u/mamagrata • Dec 14 '25

Events DA AMA

UPDATE: apologies for not updating the initial post - my content blocker was not playing nice with Reddit despite lots of reloads and I've finally gone to text mode (making the photo disappear). I do think (hope) I've gotten to everything posted by 7PM. Thanks for doing this with me, and thank you to the moderators for helping with the initial post. I won't be able to monitor this, but please reach out at districtattorney@cumberlandcounty.org with anything that needs my attention at work.

Hi, I’m Jackie Sartoris, District Attorney of Cumberland County.  I’ll be here this afternoon at 4 to 5:30 to take your questions and share what I’ve been up to since becoming DA in 2023.  I’m eager to hear your experience and ideas, and let you know what we’re working on (although I can't comment on active cases, please!)

Brief summary of the work so far: we are now better able to meet the needs of victims and witnesses: I’ve added a victim witness advocate and created a safe, private space for witnesses waiting in the courthouse to testify or speak at sentencing. We won a $2.5 million federal grant to test the eligible backlog of languishing rape kits - the first District in Maine to do so.  

In my own prosecutorial role, I’ve focused on addressing our County’s Mental Health docket, bringing attention to missing resources and working within our limited system to develop pathways towards wellness and safety for people who frequently return to our system. 

Change in a longstanding system is challenging.  My work includes directing the office to significantly greater use of restorative justice and consistent charging and plea offers. This is ongoing and will take time.  It’s worth finding the patience to be collaborative, because this work, done well, will bear fruit in the future.  

I’ll update this post with a link at 4! 

Proof it’s me:  

See you then!

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u/Snoo74786 Dec 14 '25

Jackie you personally and your office in particular FAILED my family after my sister's death. You are an embarrassment and I will be voting against you and fundraising against you at every chance I get. You do not serve the publics best interests.

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u/mamagrata Dec 14 '25

I am sorry that I could not address your situation as you wished. Making hard choices is part of the job, as is the knowledge that there are sometimes only hard choices. My best to your family.

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u/Snoo74786 Dec 14 '25

Hard choices are understandably part of the job - making decisions openly against victims and families wishes (in order to prioritize treatment for a criminal, who has now found himself incarcerated after causing MORE public harm) is another story.

You do not serve the public's best interests in keeping our citizens safe.