Roland “Yummy” Raubeson sits in Androscoggin County Superior Court in Auburn on Wednesday during a break in his domestic violence assault trial. He was acquitted by a jury.
AUBURN — A local celebrity known for his reality-TV bargain hunting and signature cowboy hat was in court Wednesday where he told a jury his side of the story at his trial on a charge of domestic violence assault.
The jury of seven women and five men acquitted Roland “Yummy” Raubeson, 65, of Minot of the misdemeanor charge after deliberating just over half an hour in Androscoggin County Superior Court.
Raubeson, a star of The History Channel’s “Down East Dickering” and a one-time guest on John Stewart’s “The Daily Show,” testified that he and his girlfriend were at his home Sunday, June 5, 2016, when they argued as their relationship was drawing to a close. He said she had pulled his hair, but otherwise there had been no physical contact.
His 57-year-old former girlfriend testified that she had told Raubeson she wanted to break up while the two were in his greenhouse where both of their medical marijuana plants were growing. Raubeson was kicking and destroying some of her plants, Assistant District Attorney Patricia Madore said in her closing argument.
When the woman turned her back, Raubeson tackled her to the ground, yelling at her. She lost consciousness, she said. When she regained consciousness, he was on top of her, she said. She pulled his hair in an effort to free herself from his grip, Madore reminded the jury of the woman’s testimony.
She gathered up some belongings and drove to a hospital in Bath were she was treated for injuries to her rib cage and head, which took several weeks to heal, Madore told the jury.
A Maine State Police trooper, who responded to the scene, said Raubeson told him that he and his girlfriend had gotten into a pushing match that morning.
Raubeson had testified that his girlfriend’s injuries had occurred during a car accident. The woman claimed the injuries from the incident with the car affected her hand only.
Raubeson’s attorney, James Howaniec, told the jury during his closing argument that there was no physical evidence to support the woman’s claim and that the case was a “he said-she said” incident in which only the two parties involved know what happened.
Although he didn’t plea bargain on the assault charge, Raubeson did negotiate a plea through his lawyer on a misdemeanor charge of violating a condition of release.
Raubeson and his son, Mitchell, were featured regularly on “Down East Dickering,” a Maine-based reality show that focused on bargain hunting for items for sale and trade found in the Maine-published Uncle Henry’s Magazine.
The show was canceled after two seasons because of low ratings.
cwilliams@sunjournal.com
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
