Woman appears in court, judge sets bail and specific conditions

UPDATE: Woman whose Camden house caught fire faces harassment, stalking allegations

Thu, 09/27/2018 - 5:15pm

    UPDATE: ROCKLAND (Sept. 27) — Jodi Schiller, 49, of Camden, who was arrested Sept. 25 by Rockport Police on a warrant, and charged with domestic violence stalking and criminal trespass, made her court appearance in Knox County Unified Court Sept. 26.

    The arrest warrant was requested by Camden Police Detective Curt Andrick.

    Schiller appeared before Judge Paul Mathews who set bail at $1,000 cash.

    Her bail conditions include that she must take all medications as prescribed, have no contact with the victim, his wife and immediate family, including their residence, place of employment and not to be with within 1,500 feet of their residence. Additionally, she cannot use or possess any dangerous weapons, including firearms, use alcohol or drugs and will be subject to random searches, according to the court document.

    Schiller will be on supervised release and is ordered by the judge to check-in with the Camden Police Department daily and enter into a Maine Pre-Trial Contract.

    According to the affidavit filed in Knox County Unified Court by Camden Police, there have been numerous complaints by the victim over a six-year period of alleged stalking, harassment and trespassing, involving Schiller.

    Schiller and the victim had a relationship in California from 2007-2008. The man moved to Maine with his family in 2010.

    In September 2017, the victim told police that said he learned that Schiller had moved from California to Camden and purchased a house near him, according to the affidavit.

    The victim stated that in 2012, while he was living in Belfast, Schiller allegedly began stalking and harassing him. The victim relocated to Camden, and since Sept., 2017, the Camden Police Department has received numerous complaints. Schiller was charged with harassment and served with several harassment notices, according to the police affidavit.

    Schiller was initially charged with harassment by Camden Police on May 23. She was then arrested on Sept. 3 on a criminal trespass charge and released on $100 cash bail with no specific conditions. 

    On Sept. 10, there was a fire at Schiller’s home at 66 Park Street in Camden which is still under investigation by the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office.

    Schiller will appear in court again Nov. 15 for a dispositional conference.


    UPDATE: ROCKLAND (Sept. 21) — On Sept. 19, another motion to continue for an expedited bail hearing was filed by Laura Shaw, of Camden, defense attorney for Jodi Schiller. The District Attorney’s Office did not object to the motion. Judge Barbara Raimondi granted that the motion be rescheduled until the next available date.

    Additionally, a motion to continue was filed by Shaw for a dispositional conference which had already been scheduled for Sept. 27. Shaw stated in the motion that she had a previous scheduling conflict with another case.

    The cause of the fire still remains under investigation by the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office.


    UPDATE: ROCKLAND — On Sept. 14, Judge Barbara Raimondi ordered that the expedited bail hearing that was scheduled for the same day, be rescheduled until the next available date.

    Schiller will now appear in Knox County Unified Court on Friday, Sept. 21.


    CAMDEN — A Camden woman who was treated by an ambulance crew following a fire at her home at 66 Park Street Sept. 10, and was previously charged with harassment by police in May, is facing charges of alleged domestic violence stalking and criminal trespassing.

    Jodi Schiller, 49, was initially charged by Camden Police with alleged harassment May 23.

    On Sept. 6, the state filed a motion to amend Schiller’s bail conditions.

    The motion stated that upon review of the case, the Knox County District Attorney’s Office was also charging Schiller with domestic violence stalking.

    Meanwhile, the investigation of the fire at the Camden house remained ongoing by the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office as of Sept. 14, according to Camden Police Department.

    Schiller’s attorney, Laura Shaw, had entered a plea of not guilty when she was arraigned Aug. 13 for the original charge of harassment from the alleged May incident and the additional charge of domestic violence stalking.

    The issue of bail was not addressed at the August hearing, according to the court documents.

    The motion further stated that on May 23, the victim was granted a temporary protection order, but the protection order was then dismissed by the court July 2 after the victim filed a motion to dismiss it on June 29.

    According to the court documents, the victim filed the motion to dismiss after learning that Schiller had relocated to another state.

    At the end of August, Camden Police said they received a report that Schiller had allegedly committed criminal trespass involving the victim’s residence. Police arrested the woman Sept. 3 and she was released on $100 cash bail with no special conditions, according to court documents.

    The motion included the state’s position that as a result of the seriousness and ongoing nature of the charges, special conditions of bail are justified, including that Schiller must not have any contact with the victim or family, and cannot be within 1,500 feet of the victim’s residence. Additionally, she cannot use or possess any dangerous weapons, including firearms, and will be subject to random searches.

    The State, represented by the Knox County District Attorney’s office, further contended that the charges of public safety considerations warrant the court to grant a motion to schedule an expedited hearing and amend Schiller’s bail conditions.

    On Sept. 7, Judge Barbara Raimondi approved the state’s motion and ordered an expedited hearing to be scheduled.

    The hearing was scheduled for Sept. 10, but Shaw requested that the clerk reschedule the motion.

    Attorney Shaw filed a motion Sept. 11 to continue the state’s motion to amend bail, which had been scheduled to be addressed at a hearing on Sept. 14.  

    In her motion, Shaw stated her reasons for the continuance were that Schiller’s house had caught fire on Sept. 10 and that she is currently in the hospital with injuries.

    On Sept. 13, the state filed an objection to the motion to continue and said any further delay in the motion would be unjustified.

    The state requested that the court denies Shaw’s motion to continue.

     

    Related story:

    Firefighters extinguish Camden house fire

     

    Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com