PORTLAND, Maine - Maine's Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that the man known as the North Pond Hermit, Christopher Knight, does not have to pay police for expenses they incurred while investigating his crimes.
Knight was arrested in 2013 after living for nearly three decades in isolation in the woods near Rome. He was charged with burglary and theft of nearby homes and camps.
Maine State police had sought more than $1,000 in restitution to repair a private road they traveled on as they collected evidence from Knight's campsite.
In a 4-2 decision, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that Knight did not have to pay restitution to Maine State Police because they were not a victim of his crimes.
