Maine to be freed from court oversight

The state of Maine will soon be free from a consent decree that has shaped the way the state treats mentally ill patients.
A court appointed specialist, or “Court Master,” was put in place to ensure the state met certain standards. That specialist was retired Chief Justice Daniel Wathen of Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court who determined Maine is now in “substantial compliance” with legal guidelines updated three years ago.
He told Maine Public Broadcasting Network there is now a working mental health system.
“It didn't require that they be able to meet every need, but that they have a system for responding reasonably to needs," Wathen said. "And they have such a system now."
The back story on the court oversight started nearly 35 years ago. I...