Hancock County’s probate judge faced his fourth contempt order on Tuesday, risking a 90-day jail sentence, after failing again to pay child support to his ex-wife.
William Blaisdell IV was given until 6 p.m. April 28 to pay $8,396 to his ex-wife in overdue child support payments. If he paid the full amount, Blaisdell could forego jail time, according to the Waldo County District Court contempt order.
It was not clear Thursday if Blaisdell met the deadline. Blaisdell, who has been representing himself in his divorce, had not been booked in either the Waldo or Hancock county jails by Thursday morning.
Christopher MacLean, the attorney for Blaisdell’s ex-wife, did not immediately respond to inquiries from the Bangor Daily News.
Maine District Judge John Martin said the contempt order will remain in effect until June 30, 2029, noting Blaisdell’s “ongoing pattern of willful disobedience of court orders,” according to court documents. Blaisdell’s divorce is being handled in Waldo County because of his connections with the legal and justice system in Hancock County, where he has long had his own law practice.
Blaisdell, who faced an arrest warrant last month after he missed a contempt hearing, turned himself in at the Hancock County jail in mid-March. He was later released after posting $16,929 bail — the amount of child support he owed at the time.
“His selective payment of obligations, while ignoring court-ordered support, demonstrates an intentional prioritization of his own preferences over his legal obligations,” the April 28 contempt order says. “This conduct constitutes not mere neglect, but a knowing and ongoing defiance of the Court’s orders.”
Blaisdell is still listed on Hancock County’s official website as the county’s elected probate judge, though he’s been suspended both from practicing law and from serving on the bench. In his absence, Hancock County’s probate cases have been overseen by other part-time judges from nearby counties.
He has faced four contempt orders stemming from his 2019 divorce.
In early April, a Waldo County judge found that Blaisdell perjured himself during sworn testimony about his finances. Blaisdell testified in October 2025 that his depleted brokerage accounts left him unable to pay child support, though his financial statements later showed he had more than $510,000 in savings.
Waldo County’s top prosecutor Natasha Irving said earlier this month her office was at the “very beginning stages” of reviewing the case. If Blaisdell is charged and then convicted of criminal perjury, he could face up to 5 years of incarceration and a $5,000 fine.
