State MP appears in court after allegedly assaulting wife, she says incident was a misunderstanding

BIDDEFORD, Maine (WMTW) – Maine State Representative Lucas Lanigan made his first court appearance Wednesday facing charges he assaulted his wife during a domestic dispute last week.

Bail was set at $3,000 in Biddeford District Court, where Lanigan appeared via Zoom.

Lanigan, charged with aggravated assault with domestic violence, turned himself in to police on Monday after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The alleged incident involved an altercation in which, according to the initial police report, Lanigan’s wife claimed he choked her.

In court, both Lanigan’s lawyer and his wife claimed the incident was a misunderstanding.

Lanigan’s wife said he had been drinking when he confronted him about what she described as an affair. She explained that she threatened to harm herself and that Lanigan stepped in to protect her. “He had to forcefully try to take the tools from me so I didn’t get hurt. In the fight, I got some bruises; it was not an attack, your honor,” she told the judge.

But prosecutors noted that victims in domestic violence cases often recant their stories, pointing to initial statements made by Lanigan’s wife.

The judge ordered Lanigan to have no contact with his wife pending further proceedings.

Lanigan, who is running for re-election in Maine’s 141st District, has not indicated he plans to step down, despite growing calls for him to step down. He is scheduled to return to court in March.