Media Coverage



	June 15, 2010 Abusegate
	Maine: Supreme Court Hears Case on Out-of-Control DV Prosecutor
	This is an update on a case currently being argued in front of the Maine Supreme Court about an out-of-control prosecutor named Mary Kellet, who has wrongfully charged and prosecuted many innocent men in Maine… The Maine Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in the State of Maine vs. Vladek Filler. National Director of the Domestic Abuse Helpline Jan Brown attended the hearing as did some others. The “Michael Nifong on steroids” Mary Kellett has prosecuted countless innocent men on trumped up charges and false evidence. When it becomes easy for a prosecutor to lie to judges and juries with impunity, it is also easy for them to lie to the Supreme Court. Mary Kellett mislead the Supreme Court about her misconduct and the trial record. When the trial court found Mary Kellett guilty of prosecutorial misconduct against Vladek Filler she continued to abuse her power as the representative of the State of Maine. She filed an appeal of her prosecutorial misconduct, then wrote the appeal herself, and then argued it herself before Maine Supreme Court. It is equivalent to a corrupt police officer investigating himself then writing a report finding the victims at fault. The prosecutor brazenly lied to the Supreme Court about her misconduct and explicit court order violations at trial, pointed the finger at the defense attorney, and argued for Vladek Filler to be denied acquittal or even a new trial. One Justice asked Mary Kellett whether she considered a custody battle for the children important in a case where the wife is alleging spousal rape against the husband. Mary Kellett responded that it is the defense who should be concerned with the importance of child custody battle evidence. The admission of the State’s unconstitutional “burden shifting” is stunning. The State of Maine has admitted that it is less concerned with evidence ulterior motives and false allegations, and relies on defense to seek the truth and be concerned with such evidence. Vladek Filler’s attorney argued the systematic and flagrant prosecutorial misconduct committed by Mary Kellett and the insufficiency of evidence to support Vladek Filler’s conviction or even for bringing charges against him. That in fact, the evidence showed this prosecutor brought numerous charges of rape against a man where the accuser herself made admissions that it was consensual. This highly politicized appeal is pending in the Maine Supreme Court. Not a single media outlet in Maine has covered the State’s appeal or the systematic prosecutorial abuse of innocent men in the Bar Harbor region. The prosecutorial and civil rights crimes against Vladek Filler and men like him must be exposed. For more information, see: www.fillerfund.com
	http://abusegate.mensnewsdaily.com/2010/06/15/maine-supreme-court-hears-case-on-out-of-control-dv-prosecutor/

	May 8, 2010 Dirty Decisions
	Supreme Judicial Court of Maine scheduled to hear oral arguments in the State vs. Vladek Filler.
	I'm not personally familiar with this case but I have seen ADA Mary Kellett in action as both as a potential juror and relative of an unjustly charged individual. She lies and consistently brings doomed cases just to punish the persons involved. She loses most of her cases, but in the meantime the persons charged are put through hell, and their reputations permanently damaged. It seems she only won the Filler case by misconduct. We can hope this hearing will bring her misconduct to light. The lawyers around here will speak privately of her appalling behavior but of course no one wants to cross her publicly.

	http://dirtydecisions.blogspot.com/2010/05/guilty-until-proven-innocent-dennis.html

	February 1, 2010 Renew America
	In Maine, it doesn't pay to be a man
	…No doubt about it, Maine's domestic violence industry has friends in high places. One of them is Mary Kellett, Assistant District Attorney for the Bar Harbor area. Think of her as Michael Nifong on steroids. Inspired by feminist Catherine Comins' sneer, "Men who are unjustly accused of rape can sometimes gain from the experience," Kellett has taken to prosecuting every allegation of sexual misconduct, often ignoring glaring inconsistencies in the woman's account or clear evidence of consensual activity: http://www.fillerfund.com/marykellett.htm In one case, Kellett summed up the case to the jury with this comment, "there has been no evidence presented to you as the jury that would suggest that a sexual act hadn't occurred on those dates," revealing a sad ignorance of the legal principle that the burden of proof falls on the plaintiff. In another trial, Kellett did not present a shred of physical evidence, prompting the defense attorney to comment, "We were just very surprised with the only evidence the state had, that they brought these charges at all." Unfortunately for her prosecutorial victims, none of them play lacrosse at an exclusive university or have wealthy parents to hire high-powered attorneys. As a result, many have spent months in jail awaiting their trial. It gets worse. Maine now has a law enforcement policy that says in effect if a woman punches the living daylights out of her husband, somehow it must be the man's fault. "Identifying Predominant Aggressors in Domestic Violence Cases" is a training guide put together by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy: http://www.maine.gov/dps/mcja/docs/Mandatory-Law/Predominant%20Aggressor.doc A little background: It is well known that many domestic violence incidents are mutual in nature — she slaps him, he shoves back. One study by Centers for Disease Control researcher Daniel Whitaker reported fully half of all incidents of partner aggression are mutual. More often than not, it's the woman who instigated the incident. So when the police arrive on the scene, they need to decide who to stick in the Paddy Wagon. For years, police used the commonsense yardstick, Who started the fight? But feminists don't cotton to that approach because, truth be told, too many women were getting arrested. So they reached into their bag of tricks and — abracadabra! "Predominant aggressor" magically appeared in the law enforcement lexicon. Any guesses who the predominant aggressor might be? Before I give away the punch line, you may want to see for yourself the Ms.-Information that the Predominant Aggressor curriculum bandies around: 1. The idea that abuse can be mutual is a "misconception" (I say so, it must be true.) 2. "DV is the leading cause of injuries to women between the ages of 15-44 in the U.S." (It's also a proven fact that the moon is made of Swiss cheese and the 9/11 attacks were masterminded by the CIA.) 3. Even if the violence is mutual, it's bad to arrest both parties because the "batterer gains more power." (Don't ask to see the research. I'm the one with the mic and I'll give you the boot if you start to ask questions.) Then the curriculum goes on to enumerate the types of violence that it whimsically classifies as defensive: 1. Face scratches 2. Eye gouges 3. Bites to arm Go ahead, ladies, scratch his face and gouge his eyes out. You can always say it was in self-defense — and now they'll have to take you at your word. Patrick Henry College professor Stephen Baskerville has recently issued a stunning indictment of our contemporary criminal justice system, lambasting it as a "Feminist Gulag." Now in Maine, a man can be killed in cold blood without consequence to the perpetrator, prosecuted for rape with the flimsiest of evidence, or framed in a partner dispute on account of his sex. And whatever happened to the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution?
	http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/roberts/100201
	http://mensnewsdaily.com/2010/02/01/in-maine-it-doesnt-pay-to-be-a-man/
	http://www.postchronicle.com/commentary/article_212282095.shtml?rssfeed
	http://news.mensactivism.org/node/14669
	http://domesticviolenceresourcesformen.blogspot.com/2010/02/in-maine-it-doesnt-pay-to-be-man.html
	http://www.chronwatch-america.com/blogs/1458/In-Maine-It-Doesnt-Pay-to-Be-a-Man.html
	http://www.ifeminists.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.679
	http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2010/01/31/in-maine-it-doesn’t-pay-to-be-a-man/
	http://www.silobreaker.com/in-maine-it-doesnt-pay-to-be-a-man-5_2263202116686315520

	October 23, 2009 Men's News Daily
	False Rape Witch Hunts Gone Wild
	...One case which has received some attention is that of Vladek Filler, a husband who was accused of sexual assault by his wife during their bitter split up and custody battle. Filler, a self employed honors graduate from Babson College, decided to leave his wife after 16 years and get custody of his two sons. Child Protective Services and Court investigations granted Filler temporary custody of his children. His wife was found to be a threat and had her supervised visits with them suspended. Prior to being arrested and charged for his wife’s accusations, Filler sought help from a local domestic violence organization which turned him away and chose to give assistance to his abusive wife instead. Filler sought a protection order from court and his wife decided to drop the “nuclear bomb” of divorce and custody battles. She accused Filler of abuse, child molestations, and spousal rape. She demanded immediate custody of their children. A video about the events appeared on YouTube. Despite absence of any corroborating evidence other than his wife’s accusation, the children were taken away, and prosecutor Mary Kellett had Filler arrested, charged, and eventually convicted. What emerged after his January 2009 trial were revealing details of how prosecutions of men are conducted by prosecutor Mary Kellett and the Hancock County DA’s office. Filler was apparently not allowed to present any evidence at all of the bitter custody battle, his wife’s troubled past, or her false claims of abuse in another custody battle with another man. Kellett, in turn told the jury "there was no evidence that the sexual assaults did not occur" , and placed the burden on Filler to prove his innocence. Kellett suggested that if forensic and physical examinations were conducted they would impede justice in this case and that statistically Filler was more likely to sexually assault his wife than a stranger. Aware that Filler was prevented from presenting evidence, Kellett repeatedly told to the jury that a child custody dispute did not even exist and therefore could not be a motive for false accusations by his wife. When considering the disturbing details of the Filler case, one can’t help but to wonder how something like this could happen in our justice system. What is taking place in Hancock County Maine is extremism based on a myth that men are inherently bad, and are a threat to helpless and innocent women; that the State needs to punish and control men to maintain order within relationships and families. This is not much different; from how Puritans viewed women accused of witchcraft in their community. The way men are being characterized in Maine has caused the public to be fearful and suspicious of men. Maine’s Attorney General Janet Mills, a former co-founder of the Maine Women’s Lobby, recently stated that her number one priority is domestic violence, and that "We need to send the message to boys and young men in Maine" . Such views from Maine’s top law enforcement official are made despite numerous credible studies suggesting that women are just as responsible, if not more, for "domestic violence" and "child abuse". Such gender biased rhetoric demonizes boys, men, and fathers and leads to the numerous falsely accused men to face years in prison and the perpetual skewing of domestic violence statistics. So powerful is the myth against men, that despite difficult fiscal and economic times, the flow of funding to the domestic violence industry continues to be strong, as does the prosecution of men. The message of the rhetoric being sent to the girls in Maine is "blame the boys for everything and the State will do the rest", so maybe the message to the boys in Maine should now be "God help you".
	http://mensnewsdaily.com/2009/10/23/false-rape-witch-hunts-gone-wild/
	http://wadvpress.org/?p=370
	http://www.ifeminists.com/print.php?news.14532
	http://framedfathers.blogspot.com/2009/10/false-rape-witch-hunts-gone-wild.html
	http://antimisandry.com/false-allegations/false-rape-claim-industry-24368.html

	May 28, 2009 Washington DV Press
	The Filler Case Continues
	The shameless tactics of Mary Kellett, and Michael Povich continue in the state of Maine. It makes one wonder what they are really doing in their capacities if they feel it necessary to prosecute every false allegation this vigorously. Here is what they’ve been up to lately. These cases should be dismissed with prejudice. Instead, they enable the behaviors of this sick woman. Her name is Ligia Filler, and she is a man’s worst nightmare. The state of Maine, Michael Povich, and Mary Kellett are guilty of trying to block this evidence and the Filler’s continue to run out of money to help this poor man. This must stop and stop soon.
	http://wadvpress.org/

	May 17, 2009 Buzz - U.S. News
	Anyone following what has been happening in Maine knows that men are being charged, prosecuted and convicted by a corrupt DA’s office. One trial of another innocent man just ended yesterday.
	http://buzz.yahoo.com/article/1:current616:35cc49b062d12c52b4b9ea6182ac98c6/Prosecutor-Gone-Wild

	May 14, 2009 Save The Fathers
	Gross prosecutorial misconduct and civil rights abuse of men and fathers is taking place in the Bar Harbor region of Maine by Assistant DA Mary Kellett. Some have called it a modern day Witch Hunt where men are targeted and persecuted with little or no credible evidence of a crime. This video details one case involving a father who tried to leave his wife of 16 years and gain custody of his children. What happened next is reminiscent of the 1600's Salem Witch Trials.
	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsKIcQhjaJg

	April 7, 2009 Diary of a Tired Black Man
	News Story: Men, beware of the legal system...it's designed to destroy you.
	State of Maine vs. Vladek Filler (and his children)
	http://www.tiredblackman.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6021

	March 13, 2009 Washington DV Press
	Mary Kellett - Nobody’s Talking
	It’s interesting when I call up prosecutor’s who are misbehaving. Nobody is willing to step up and be accountable for their actions. It happened with Jennifer Weiler of Thurston County and the Jeremy Kanoa Hughes case, and now its happening again with Mary N. Kellet, Assistant District Attorney/Hitwoman for Maine’s 7th district court. She’s not talking. Period. A new rape "trial" for the Vladek Filler family has been ordered due to her misconduct up in Ellsworth, Maine where as many as 4 men per month have been indicted on multiple counts of Rape, each carrying up to 30 years in prison. The details are disturbing, especially the conduct of Ms. Kellett within the courtroom itself. So, I contacted Michael Povich this afternoon to get the prosecution’s side of the story.
	http://wadvpress.org/?p=177#more-177

	March 10, 2009 California Men's Centers
	New Trial for Man Convicted Of Wife Rape, an incredible tale of judicial and prosecutorial misconduct arising from the war against men and fathers, "guilty unless he proved otherwise…" The defense attorney stated in his motion that [Assistant DA Mary] Kellett told the jury "there was no evidence that the sexual assaults did not occur…"
	http://www.californiamenscenters.org/wordpress/?p=10658

	March 5, 2009 The Ellsworth American - Front Page
	Filler, who is free on post-conviction bail, was engaged in a child custody fight during the time his wife alleges she was assaulted. The court did not allow evidence of the custody dispute during the trial. … As a result of the court’s efforts to sanitize the criminal proceeding, Mr. Filler was deprived of the opportunity to present to the jury a complete picture of the relationship, and a context for Mrs. Filler’s allegations,” the defense attorney stated. Hancock County Superior Court Justice Kevin M. Cuddy stated in his decision that during the trial, the court excluded from evidence facts relating to the child custody dispute. Cuddy stated in his decision to grant a new trial that one of the major points of the prosecution in its closing argument entailed the child custody dispute. In his motion for a new trial, Pileggi stated that the defense would have presented evidence of his client seeking a protection from abuse order. This evidence would have included Mrs. Filler’s filing of a similar petition in Washington County after her efforts in Hancock County to gain custody of the couple’s two sons had failed, Pileggi stated. The evidence would have demonstrated “the existence and vehemence of the Fillers’ child custody fight, all occurring at the same time and immediately after Mrs. Filler’s claims of physical and sexual abuse,” Pileggi stated. “The error was compounded by the prosecutor’s repeated statements during her closing argument that the record contained no evidence of a custody dispute and that Mr. Filler’s defense should therefore be discounted,” Pileggi stated. Pileggi also contends in the motion that his client should be acquitted, citing that the alleged sexual act was physically impossible given the space constraints of the location in which Mrs. Filler says the assault occurred. Pileggi stated in his support for acquittal that the Maine Supreme Judicial Court has made clear that a conviction may be sustained solely upon a witness’s testimony, but in order to do so the testimony must reflect actions that were physically possible. “For example, the court would not be compelled to accept Mrs. Filler’s testimony if she had said she had identified Mr. Filler as her assailant through a conversation with aliens,” Pileggi stated. “The evidence here is similarly outrageous.” No reasonable jury could have found Filler guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, the defense attorney said. “Given the vast array of evidence demonstrating Mrs. Filler’s claims to be impossible, the only inference that may be drawn is that the jury improperly placed a burden on Mr. Filler to disprove the crime’s occurrence.” Pileggi also contends that Kellett misstated the burden of proof, “implying that Mr. Filler was guilty unless he proved otherwise.” The defense attorney stated in his motion that Kellett told the jury “there was no evidence that the sexual assaults did not occur.”
	http://ellsworthmaine.com/site/index.php/2009030519618/Latest/New-Trial-for-Man-Convicted-Of-Wife-Rape.html

	April 28-29, 2007 Bangor Daily News - Front Page
	Gouldsboro husband charged with rape
	ELLSWORTH -- A Gouldsboro man accused of forcing his wife to engage in a sex act was charged with rape Friday in Hancock County Superior Court The charge of Class A gross sexual assault against Vladek Filler, 39, stems from an incident that allegedly occurred April 6 at the couple's Gouldsboro home. Anthony Beardsley, as Ellsworth attorney who represented Filler in court on Friday said his client denies the charges. We feel there is a custody component involved in this," Beardsley said, referring to the couple's children. Bail was set at $10,000 cash or $50,000 surety. Beardsley had argued for a lower bail based on the fact that his client had no criminal record.
	http://www.bangordailynews.com