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Judge Seals School Records Of Woman Accused Of Beating 10-Year-Old Daughter To Death

Patty Wight
/
Maine Public
Sharon Carillo in court with one of her attorneys, Chris MacLean.

A Waldo County District Court judge has ordered that confidential school records of the woman charged in the beating death of her daughter be sealed. Sharon Carrillo’s attorneys accused the state of misconduct in obtaining the records.

In court on Tuesday, defense attorney Laura Shaw argued that state prosecutors improperly issued a Maine subpoena across state borders when they sought records from a New York school that Carrillo attended more than a decade ago.

Shaw also said that the state falsely pressured school officials by suggesting that if they didn’t comply, they would have to appear in court in Maine on a date when nothing related to the case was scheduled.

Judge Robert Murray appeared to agree with the defense, and ordered the state to seal Carrillo’s school records. He also ordered the state to file an affidavit noting who has viewed the confidential information.

Shaw says she’s pleased with the outcome.

“Because we’re also seeking to disqualify prosecutors on the basis of receiving those records, and that will be important information to know,” she says.

The judge will consider whether to disqualify state prosecutors at a later date.

Assistant Attorney General Leane Zainea told the court that prosecutors made a procedural error but had sought the records because Carrillo’s cognitive abilities may be important to the case.

Carrillo and her husband, Julio, are each charged with the murder of 10-year-old Marissa Kennedy, who was Sharon Carrillo’s biological daughter.

This story ws originally published March 27, 2018 at 5:21 p.m. ET.