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"A judge acquitted former Kennebunk High School hockey coach Donald Hill of soliciting a prostitute.Justice Roland Cole ended the trial Tuesday afternoon after he ruled against allowing Alexis Wright's business ledger to be entered into evidence.Hill had been accused of paying former Kennebunk Zumba instructor Alexis Wright for sex.The judge's decision came after Hill's lawyer, Gary Prolman, moved for acquittal saying the prosecution had not proven its case.Hill's trial began on Monday. Wright was called to the stand, pointed out Hill, but didn't testify about their relationship.Hill said he believed Wright was his girlfriend and said he never paid her for sex. He said the hardest part of the last year was not saying anything, even when his reputation and job were gone.\u201CI just wish people would be a little more \u2026 less rushed to judgment before I had a chance to defend myself, really,\u201D Hill said Tuesday.Kennebunk\u2019s most successful hockey coach said he had planned on retiring as coach, but never expected to choose to leave after being charged with soliciting a prostitute.\u201CI chose to walk away from the job to protect the program from the intense media frenzy that surrounded this whole thing to begin with,\u201D Hill said. \u201CThat was difficult to do, especially after putting 19 years in.\u201DAfter just two days in court, the judge ruled that the ledger kept by Wright with alleged Johns\u2019 names meticulously recorded in it could not be used as evidence in Hill\u2019s case.\u201CWe have to analyze our case,\u201D said District Attorney Patrick Gordon. \u201CWe think the evidence is admissible. We try to get it admitted. We\u2019re not always right. The judge makes the final ruling and we abide by that and we believe in the judges\u2019 rulings.\u201DProlman said the case should be an example of how traumatizing a charge can be to someone\u2019s career, reputation and life.\u201CIn the future, maybe legislation won\u2019t change, but maybe the public will take a step back when someone is charged and give them the benefit of the doubt, especially someone without a history that\u2019s been a pillar of the community and pillar of society for so long,\u201D Prolman said.Hill said he was just happy he can finally stand up for himself.\u201CIt was nice to have the outcome we did today to have some sort of vindication,\u201D Hill said.The prosecution said it had planned to go forward with trials for more of the alleged Johns in the case, but it will have to take Hill\u2019s acquittal into account, especially considering the evidence they can and cannot use.Wright is serving a 10-month sentence after pleading guilty in the prostitution case."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.wmtw.com/article/former-hockey-coach-acquitted-in-zumba-prostitution-trial-1/1997402>