On Monday, March 8, an Androscoggin County Superior Court Justice awarded DRC client Pauline Hoffman $20,000 in civil penal damages under the Maine Human Rights Act because of the discrimination she encountered when she tried to rent a room at the Morning Star Inn, a motel in Lewiston.  Mrs. Hoffman, who is blind and uses a guide dog named Odyssey, tried to rent a room at the Morning Star in July of 2008, along with her husband and granddaughter.  The owner of the motel, Paul Finley, told her that she would need to pay an extra fee for her dog.  Mrs. Hoffman tried to explain that Odyssey is a service animal and that it is illegal to charge an extra fee for service animals.  Mr. Finley told her he didn't care if it was "God's dog," she would still have to pay the fee.  When Mrs. Hoffman offered to show Mr. Finley a copy of the laws, which she carried with her, he said he didn't care about any laws.  Because Mrs. Hoffman and her family refused to pay an extra fee, they were denied a room at the motel.