PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A Portland landlord convicted of code violations after Maine’s worst fire in decades has found a new lawyer and is continuing his appeal, court officials said Monday.
Gregory Nisbet sought a new trial after he was convicted of code violations stemming from the November 2014 fire that killed six people. His lawyers later asked to be removed from the appeal.
Nisbet is now represented by Luke Rioux of Portland and has until Jan. 9 to file an appellate brief, court officials said.
Nisbet was acquitted of six counts of manslaughter in the same trial. The code violations were related to the safety of the apartment building. Authorities said the fire - the deadliest in Maine in 40 years - started in a cigarette disposal container.
Nisbet was sentenced to three months in jail last year.
The fire killed Steven Summers, 29, of Rockland; Maelisha Jackson, 26, of Topsham; and Chris Conlee, 25, David Bragdon Jr., 27, Ashley Thomas, 29, and Nicole Finlay, 26, all of Portland.
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