Prominent local Portland criminal defense attorney, Anthony Sineni, was charged over the weekend with Domestic Violence Assault (Class D misdemeanor), 3 counts of Tampering with Evidence/Witness/Victim (Class C felony) and Theft in Excess of $10,000.00 (Class B felony). If convicted, Mr. Sineni could face as much as 16 years in prison if the sentences on all the charges were to run consecutively.
Because Attorney Sineni handles so many court appointed cases in Cumberland County, the Attorney General’s Office has agreed to prosecute the case to ensure that any appearance of impropriety is avoided. If convicted on any of these charges, it’s likely Mr. Sineni would face a period of incarceration as well as a period of probation upon release from jail.
It’s an unfortunate piece of news as Attorney Sineni is known to be a diligent and passionate criminal defense lawyer. The public just needs to avoid jumping to conclusions until all the facts are in on this case. Remember, in this country, people are presumed to be innocent unless that presumption is overcome by proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
