I attended  the August armed robbery trial that lasted for three days, Aug. 27, Aug. 28 and Aug. 29.  Lionel Cormier went on trial  for both armed robberies and aggravated assault on Charles Dolan that put Dolan in the hospital.  Robert Smith (Pollard's good friend)  assisted Cormier (gave Cormier the knife to cut Dolan's ear off) and Pollard in the March 1981 armed robbery. He received  a reduced sentence for testifying against Cormier.        The state's first witness was victim Chares Dolan. Dolan’s testimony was that he couldn’t identify his attackers because they wore ski masks. Paul Pollard (the perpetrator) testified against his half-brother and again  was given complete immunity.  Shuman’s testimony was that he knew nothing about the robberies until Pollard told him in 1985, four years later. Therefore, the state’s case rested solely on the testimony of Pollard. But Shuman reinforced Pollard’s testimony by testifying to the defendant’s creditable character.     Paul Pollard, his half-brother Lionel Cormier and Percy Sargent were also involved in Mike's murder.       The transcribed pages below are testimony of Det. Shuman during the August 1986 trial. Lionel Cormier's attorney, Martha Harris, questioned Shuman about his involvement with Paul Pollard after Pollard had been indicted and arrested for reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.  Shuman committed perjury to cover for Paul Pollard.

RECKLESS CONDUCT

On January 26, 1981, Walter Young reported to the sheriff department that someone had fired 5 shots into his house. He and a friend who was visiting followed the vehicle and got a plate number. The plate was was registered to Paul Pollard. The sheriff drew a diagram of where the shots stuck Young's house. On March 2, 1981, twelve days after Paul Pollard was seen fleeing into the woods away from the arson/murder scene he was  Indicted for Reckless Conduct with Use of a Dangerous Weapon and on  March 3, 1981 a Warrant of Arrest was issued  and signed by Det. Ralph Pinkham, Shuman's supervisor. Det. Barry Shuman and Trp. Ronald Graves drove to Waterville with Pinkham's arrest warrant. Pollard was in court in Waterville for forgery when Shuman arrested him and transported him to Bangor. An Order of Commitment for Inability to furnish bail was issued and at the bottom of the order it says “Defendant shall be segregated from other prisoners.” He was placed in the Penobscot County Jail and while in jail Shuman took a statement from Pollard concerning the night Mike died.      On March 6, 1981, Penobscot County Assistant DA Hilary Billings and Marvin Glazier (Pollard’s newly appointed attorney) were present for a bail review. A friend, Robert Smith, signed a $10,000 appearance bond  to get his friend out of jail (On March 31, Smith, Pollard and Cormier committed a serious armed robbery (This went to court in July and Aug. 1986), The victim ended up in the hospital.). A court docket sheet  was created starting on the day Pollard was indicted and several dates of when the trial was to start.  There was also an indictment dismissal signed by Penobscot County District County David Cox and Assistant Attorney General Pasqual Perrino.      During Cormier’s August 1986 armed robbery trial, his attorney asked Shuman "[Y]ou had some involvement, did you not, with that charge against Mr. Pollard up here and the subsequent dismissal of that?”      “Which charge was that? The reckless conduct that you just showed me?”      “Reckless conduct, yes.”      “I believe I did."

Martha Harris, Cormier's attorney, questions Shuman concerning his interview of Robert Smith. Smith assisted Pollard and Cormier in their March 27,1981 armed robbery of Charles Dolan.

ARMED ROBBERY

Martha Harris questions Shuman about his contact with Paul Pollard and why he went to see him. She proved that he already knew about the armed robberies.

Shuman's Feb. 12, 1985 interview of Paul Pollard.

Shuman's statement of what he says Pollard told him on March 3, 1981.