Fuck the Feds
Maine Federal Accountability Cases
DISMISSED / APPEALED

Reardon v. Bangor Publishing Company, Inc., et al.

Mitchell Oswald, Bangor Daily News and the Home Search

Court
U.S. District Court for the District of Maine
District case
No. 1:25-cv-00244-NT
First Circuit appeal
No. 25-1793

Last verified: not yet. Check the linked court record for the current status before relying on it.

Case summary

Nathan Reardon filed suit against Bangor Publishing Company, Bangor Daily News, reporter Sawyer Loftus, former U.S. Probation Officer Mitchell Oswald, and other defendants.

Reardon alleges that an August 10, 2023 Bangor Daily News publication falsely portrayed an earlier communication concerning apartment management as evidence that Reardon was acting in defiance of a judicial order.

Reardon alleges that the communication relied upon by the publication was dated May 27, 2023, before the federal supervision status at issue began on July 6, 2023.

Reardon further alleges that on August 10, 2023, Mitchell Oswald participated in or directed an armed entry and search of Reardon's residence and that the Bangor Daily News reporting was relied upon as a basis for the enforcement action without first verifying the relevant chronology and supervision records.

The original federal complaint was dismissed at preliminary review. Reardon appealed, resulting in First Circuit No. 25-1793. A later proposed amended complaint more specifically identifies the allegedly false statement, the chronology on which Reardon relies, Oswald's alleged reliance on the publication, and the asserted Fourth Amendment injury.

Where the case stands

  1. Filing

    Allegation

    Reardon sued Bangor Publishing Company, the Bangor Daily News, reporter Sawyer Loftus, former U.S. Probation Officer Mitchell Oswald, and others. He alleges that the August 10, 2023 article misdescribed a communication dated May 27, 2023, which was before federal supervision began on July 6, 2023, and that it was relied on for the August 10, 2023 search of his residence.

  2. District Court action

    Docket record

    The original complaint was dismissed at preliminary review. The grounds for the dismissal are stated in the court's decision, linked under Court records.

  3. Appeal

    Docket record

    Reardon appealed to the First Circuit, No. 25-1793.

  4. Amended pleading

    Allegation

    A later proposed amended complaint more specifically identifies the allegedly false statement, the chronology Reardon relies on, Oswald's alleged reliance on the article, and the asserted Fourth Amendment injury.

  5. Current status

    Docket record

    Dismissed and appealed. This page does not state the outcome of Appeal No. 25-1793; check the docket for the current posture.

How to read the labels

Allegation
A claim made by a party, not yet established by adjudication.
Procedural ruling
A decision based on procedure, immunity, jurisdiction, timeliness, pleading, or a similar threshold ground.
Court finding
A factual or legal determination actually made by the court.
Party argument
A position a party argues to a court, such as in an appeal brief.
Docket record
A fact shown on the court's public docket, such as a filing, deadline or status.
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