Hancock County’s probate judge turned himself in Tuesday morning on an arrest warrant after he failed to appear in a Belfast court for a hearing on overdue child support he owed his ex-wife.
He posted $16,929.50 bail — the amount of child support he owed — and was released later in the day from Hancock County Jail in Ellsworth.
An arrest warrant for William B. Blaisdell IV was issued last week after he failed to appear at a Belfast District Court hearing on March 12 over the unpaid child support payments.
Blaisdell, who remains the county’s elected probate judge although he has been suspended from practicing law or serving on the bench, has faced multiple contempt orders for not staying up to date on his court-mandated child support payments.
During Blaisdell’s suspension, an inter-county arrangement has allowed probate judges from neighboring counties to adjudicate Hancock County’s probate matters. Probate cases are shielded from public view and can involve adoptions, name changes, guardianships and wills.
Since his 2019 divorce, Blaisdell has been held in contempt of court at least three times and has fallen behind on more than $67,000 in timely child support payments to his ex-wife.
