Maine’s shortage of public defenders allowed a man with a violent criminal history to be released on bail three days before he went to his former girlfriend's Auburn home, where another man was killed before an hourslong standoff with police in which shots were exchanged, two houses burned to the ground and the assailant was eventually killed by tactical team.
Leein Hinkley, 43, posted bail June 12 after a judge cited delays in finding a court-appointed attorney for removing a probation hold on Hinkley and lowered his bail to $1,500. Hinkley's release angered law enforcement officials and the district attorney, who said public safety should outweigh delays in obtaining counsel for a man with a history of violent crimes.
