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Politico
6 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Massachusetts court crisis
DAY IN COURT — Attorneys who represent defendants who can't afford one themselves want a pay raise that would put their rates closer to their counterparts in neighboring states. The lawmakers who already cut spending from the state's annual budget — and are bracing for the fallout from federal spending cuts — don't see any place to pull the money from. The standoff is on the precipice of exploding into a major political headache for Gov. Maura Healey. So-called bar advocates stopped taking new cases in late May as they called for the state to raise their rate by $35 an hour. The raise would put their pay at $100 an hour for district court cases — an ask that may seem like a leap, but would move them closer to other states like New Hampshire and Rhode Island (one's where the cost of living is less expensive than in Massachusetts, they point out). The work stoppage is leaving defendants without counsel, and some have started to be released, thanks to a Supreme Judicial Court rule that requires defendants be released after seven days without a lawyer. After 45 days without representation, those cases can be dismissed — and since the work stoppage began just after Memorial Day, that could be imminent for some defendants. It's an easy opening for Healey's Republican opponents, who have spent the first few months of the nascent race criticizing the Democratic governor over state spending and safety. Both state officials and bar advocates say they're looking for a quick solution. 'It's a matter of public safety,' Healey said on Wednesday. 'It's also a matter of due process, and people are entitled to representation.' It's unclear what the ultimate fix will be, since money is tight. Budget writers in the Legislature and in Healey's office took turns shaving down the state's annual budget in recent weeks as they brace for a possible hit from federal funding cuts and uncertain revenues. '[If] we were to grant what some folks have been requesting … it's a $100 million issue,' House Ways and Means Committee Chair Aaron Michlewitz told reporters Wednesday. One idea that's been batted around: Granting the attorneys a more modest raise now, and tacking on a separate pay rate increase later on. But ultimately they'll need a longer term fix. "The Legislature could come up with a very temporary solution that might plug the immediate hole that we're in,' Shira Diner of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers told Playbook. 'But then we will only be back in the situation again next year, right?' GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@ TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll the Commonwealth's Caribbean Breakfast at 12:30 p.m. at the State House and announce an anti-hunger program at 2:15 p.m. in Medford. Attorney General Andrea Campbell visits the Pittsfield Branch of the Berkshire Family YMCA at 10 a.m. and stops at Berkshire Medical Center at noon in Pittsfield. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announces the first units of housing that are under construction through the city's 'Office to Residential Conversion Program' at 10:30 a.m. in Boston. DATELINE BEACON HILL WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IS READING — This new Morning Consult tracking poll that shows 59 percent of registered voters approve of Gov. Maura Healey's performance. That's a jump up from a University of New Hampshire poll earlier this year that had Healey's approval at 49 percent, and on par with an internal poll Healey's campaign conducted around the same time. — Massachusetts House announces hiring freeze in face of federal funding cuts by Samantha J. Gross, The Boston Globe: 'As the state braces for the impact of federal funding cuts, state House leaders announced Wednesday that they are freezing hiring, citing 'federal economic uncertainty' in Washington. According to an email obtained by the Globe, House Human Resources director Katherine Palmer described the freeze as 'temporary' and 'proactive,' and said that it will not affect previously approved jobs or backfills for positions in offices where a state representative only has one aide.' — Healey's $3b bill seeks to future-proof Mass. against flash floods and more by Sabrina Shankman, The Boston Globe: 'Governor Maura Healey has proposed a $3 billion bond bill that aims to get the state ready for what's to come — and what's already happening — via a suite of programs and regulatory changes, including the introduction of a mandatory flood risk disclosure for home sales and rentals, a $200 million revolving fund for resilience projects, and a streamlined permitting process for culverts and salt marsh restoration. If passed by the Legislature, the so-called Mass Ready Act would be a historic investment in climate-readiness, said Stephanie Cooper, the state's undersecretary for the environment — 'the biggest ever.'' — Massachusetts House votes to expand safeguards for abortion, gender-affirming care by Katie Lannan, GBH News: 'People seeking reproductive and gender-related health care in Massachusetts – and the medical professionals who provide that care – are a step closer to gaining another layer of protections under state law. The Massachusetts House voted 136-23 Wednesday on a bill aimed at shielding patient and provider data from out-of-state actors.' — State offers tax credits for theaters by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: 'The pilot program, which will be jointly administered by the state offices of Travel and Tourism and Business Development, will offer up to $7 million in funding for live-stage musical theater, dance or theatrical productions in the state.' — State lawmaker charged with OUI, property damage near State House by Veronica Haynes and Sharman Sacchetti, WCVB: 'A Massachusetts lawmaker is facing multiple charges, including operating under the influence of liquor, after a crash near the State House in Beacon Hill. According to documents obtained by 5 Investigates, state Rep. John Lawn, 56, of Watertown, as arrested at 1:45 a.m. Wednesday in the area of Beacon and Bowdoin streets. Lawn is charged with operating under the influence of liquor and leaving a scene where there was property damage, both misdemeanors.' FROM THE HUB — Rules for 700-foot skyscrapers across downtown will have to wait by Catherine Carlock, The Boston Globe: 'The long-gestating rules outlining what can be built where in the core of downtown Boston will get at least another few weeks of discussion. The Boston Planning and Development Agency board this week was set to discuss a set of zoning changes that aim to balance historic preservation with denser new development that would add to downtown's housing — including allowing for 700-foot skyscrapers in certain areas and easing office-to-residential conversions — but at the last minute, the plan was left off the board's agenda when it was released Tuesday afternoon.' THE RACE FOR CITY HALL FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — The Greater Boston Building Trades Unions has endorsed Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne for reelection. FALL RIVER FALLOUT — Fall River will hire more firefighters following deadly assisted living facility fire by Patrick Madden and Christine Willmsen, WBUR: 'Speaking during an impassioned press conference Monday, representatives from the International Association of Fire Fighters claimed a shortage of on-duty firefighters hampered the response to the deadly fire. National standards for fire departments mandate four firefighters on every truck. Officials say Fall River was operating below those levels, with only two of its 10 vehicles fully staffed. The additional staffing will mean four more engines have four on-duty firefighters.' PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — MBTA evaluating system for faulty cables after Blue Line evacuation by Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez, WBUR: 'The MBTA's general manager says a decades-old cable forced an electrical shutdown and the evacuation of nearly 500 Blue Line passengers in the harbor tunnel on Tuesday. Phil Eng says the T is now evaluating the entire system for similar issues.' IN THE COURTS — Republic Services sues striking Teamsters, as latest contract talks fail by Matthew Medgar, Boston Herald: 'Bargaining between striking sanitation workers and the waste management giant they work for have ended in an impasse, as the company asks a federal judge to intervene to stop allegedly criminal negotiating tactics. Members of the Teamsters Local 25 have been off the job since July 1 when their contract expired, and despite several rounds of negotiations, some in the presence of a federal mediator, the latest talks held Tuesday went 12 hours without reaching a conclusion other than that the strike will go on.' — Two Massachusetts sanctuary cities head to court Thursday to defend their funding by Will Katcher, MassLive: 'A pair of Massachusetts cities are at risk of losing federal funding that has supported safety equipment for police officers, food delivery for senior citizens and paid for detectives investigating drug crime. All of it is on the line Thursday, when attorneys representing Somerville and Chelsea will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston to argue their funding streams should be preserved while they contest the Trump administration's attempt to withhold the money over their local immigration laws.' FROM THE DELEGATION — U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, local leaders line up behind Sen. Ed Markey's 2026 campaign by Melanie Gilbert, The Lowell Sun: 'U.S. Sen. Ed Markey firmed up support as he seeks a third term representing the commonwealth. A who's who of statewide politicos, led by U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, endorsed the Malden-born senator who announced his 2026 bid last October. Massachusetts senior U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren won a third six-year term in 2024. … The entire Lowell delegation endorsed Markey, including state Sen. Ed Kennedy and state Reps. Vanna Howard, Rodney Elliott and Tara Hong. Markey also picked up support from state Sen. Jamie Eldridge; state Reps. James Arciero, Simon Cataldo, Colleen Garry, Dan Sena, Margaret Scarsdale and Jonathan Zlotnik; former state Rep. Stephan Hay; Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian; and Methuen Mayor DJ Beauregard and Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson. Trahan's endorsement video, which was paid for by the Markey Committee, listed some of the issues that Markey has fought for in the community.' THE LOCAL ANGLE — Residents paint over new yellow street lines in Newton as Italian festival begins by Rhondella Richardson and Phil Tenser, WCVB: 'Newton's annual celebration of Italian heritage begins Wednesday amid a heated debate over street lines, with some members of the community repainting the traditional tricolors over the city's fresh double-yellow lines. Every July for nine decades, the St. Mary of Carmen Festival—known as Festa—has paraded along the white and red line in the middle of Adams Street. Last month, the lines were painted over and replaced with standard double-yellow markings. On the eve of Festa, some residents took action without permission and painted over the yellow lines.' — Former parks director suing city, Reardon by Matt Petry, The Newburyport Daily News: 'Former Newburyport Parks Director Lisa Reid has filed a lawsuit against Mayor Sean Reardon and the city claiming her 2022 dismissal was 'wrongful, discriminatory and retaliatory.' Reid served the city from 2006 until being let go on Aug. 5, 2022. Her ouster came roughly a month after Reardon unveiled his plan to roll the Parks Department into the Department of Public Services, claiming that by cutting the Parks Department, the city would save upward of $105,000 a year. Reardon informed Reid on July 8, 2022 that her position would be eliminated.' — Use of AI reading tool in Worcester schools raises privacy concerns by Jesse Collings, Telegram & Gazette: 'The use of an AI-assisted reading tool in local classrooms has raised questions about how permissive school districts and parents should be in exposing students to artificial intelligence. Amira Learning is a digital reading tool that Worcester used in its elementary schools as part of a pilot program this past spring. The main function of the tool is presenting with students with words, then asking them to enunciate the words, which it records, then tells the students whether they said the word correctly.' HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — MaryRose Mazzola has joined Eastern Bank as senior vice president, director of external affairs. She previously served as chief external affairs officer at Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. — Sheila Ramirez has joined the National Network of Abortion Funds as policy counsel. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Lizzy Guyton, a founding partner of South and Hill Strategies and a Charlie Baker alum, and Tim Johnson, managing partner of CSQ Realty, recently welcomed Grace Amalia Johnson, who joins big sister Colette. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to House Democratic Whip Rep. Katherine Clark, Wade Blackman, Lauren Pardi; Massachusetts Republican Party Executive Director John Milligan, Alicia Amato (Furnary), Katie Zezima, Kevin Ryan, Christine Haughney Dare-Bryan, Chanel Prunier, former Republican National Committeewoman; Brendan Beroff, Jacob Watts, Matthew E. Berger and John Dacey. Happy belated to state Rep. Rob Consalvo, who celebrated Wednesday.
CBS News
15-07-2025
- CBS News
Massachusetts SJC confirms conviction of 5-time drunk driver, cites I-Team as evidence
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court confirmed the conviction of a five-time drunk driver for driving with a revoked license, citing an I-Team investigation as evidence. In October of 2021, the I-Team found William Foley Jr. behind the wheel, driving a Mercedes SUV without a license. We confronted him outside his Dedham home and asked why he was driving with a revoked license. The Registry of Motor Vehicles took away Foley's right to drive for life after the five-time drunk driver killed a young mom in 2001. Over the years, he made failed attempts to get his license back. After the I-Team's investigation aired, in April of 2022, Dedham police charged Foley with operating after revocation. Months later, a judge found Foley guilty and sentenced him to 18 months in the house of correction. The 61-year-old appealed his conviction, claiming the police did not give him a citation and prosecutors did not have enough evidence that he was driving with a revoked license. On Tuesday, the Supreme Judicial Court mentioned the WBZ I-Team and confirmed Foley's conviction. In a statement Foley's attorney Erin Opperman said, "I am disappointed by the SJC's decision in Commonwealth v. Foley today. Their opinion operates to constrict the rights afforded to individuals in Massachusetts under GL c 90C, s2, and expands the reach of a mandatory jail sentence in GL c. 90, s 23. In my opinion, there was no statutory or precedential basis for this outcome, but they unfortunately disagreed."
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
These towns are still out of compliance with housing law as deadline looms
As the final hours before the deadline for many towns to comply with the MBTA Communities Act tick down, some are still holding out against the state's requirements. While some small communities have until the end of the year, most of the 177 cities and towns included under the 2021 law have until Monday, July 14, to implement new zoning allowing multifamily housing. But as of Friday, 14 had yet to do so, with several explicitly avoiding following the guidelines. The MBTA Communities Act requires cities and towns served by the MBTA to have at least one zoning district where multifamily housing is allowed by right. Its goal is to make it easier for developers to create new housing, relieving pressure on the expensive local housing market. In a January ruling, the Supreme Judicial Court upheld the law as constitutional and mandatory. However, the court said the compliance guidelines had not gone through the correct legal process and were, therefore, unenforceable. Soon after, the state has released new, emergency guidelines, giving the 28 towns that had not met their original deadlines until July 14 to comply. They were required to submit an action plan to achieve compliance by Feb. 13, which three towns — Halifax, Marshfield and Middleton — still have not done. After the deadline, noncompliant communities will be ineligible for many state grants and could also see further enforcement action. Previously, Attorney General Andrea Campbell sued the town of Milton to force it to comply, though she has repeatedly said she does not want to use legal action to force compliance. Milton has since approved a new zoning plan meant to follow the guidelines, though according to the state's tracking page, the town had not officially submitted the plan as of Friday. Of the 27 other towns given the July deadline, Duxbury, Georgetown, Ipswich, Middleborough, Millbury, North Reading, Raynham, Rowley, Saugus and Wenham have all approved zoning meant to satisfy the law's requirements. In addition, Norton has been deemed fully compliant. Last month, lawsuits against the state brought by nine of the remaining towns were dismissed when a Plymouth Superior Court judge ruled that the law was not an 'unfunded mandate.' Under the Local Mandate Law, since 1980, any state law or regulation that would impose more than 'incidental administration expenses' on local governments must either be fully funded by the state or be conditional on local acceptance of the rule. In February, State Auditor Diana DiZoglio's office released an opinion that the MBTA Communities Act fell under this law. Though DiZoglio's ruling was nonbinding, it prompted the suits from Duxbury, Hanson, Holden, Marshfield, Middleton, Wenham, Weston and Wrentham, along with another by residents of Hamilton. 'The Superior Court confirmed what has long been clear: a state law requiring multi-family housing districts in communities served by public transportation, but leaving the details and location of those districts to the municipalities themselves, permissibly addresses our housing shortage while still preserving substantial local discretion,' Campbell said after the suits were dismissed. Since then, the Wrentham Select Board and town manager Michael King have indicated they intend to follow the law, though the town has not yet passed new zoning. 'Having pursued the case to a logical conclusion, the Select Board considered all various options, including appeal, and has determined that the most prudent and cost-effective option is to move forward while working proactively to manage future growth in a way that reflects the community's values and priorities,' King and the Select Board wrote in a post on the town website. 'This decision also ensures that Wrentham remains eligible for key state funding opportunities that support infrastructure, public safety, education and other services critical to residents' quality of life.' Weston is also working on zoning, with the Select Board writing in a letter to Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities on Wednesday that they were 'diligently working to achieve compliance' and intended to bring a proposal to town meeting in October. But still, other towns are holding out. Town meeting voters in Dracut, East Bridgewater, Freetown and Wilmington all turned down zoning proposals drafted to follow the law, while in Tewksbury, the town's Planning Board voted not to even bring a zoning proposal to a town meeting vote. In Winthrop, the Town Council failed to support the Planning Board's proposal with a split 4-4 vote on June 17. As recently as Tuesday, voters in Marblehead narrowly overturned the new zoning map that had already been approved in a town-wide referendum, with 52% voting against it, according to unofficial results. 'This is not the outcome we were hoping for today, but our work is not finished,' Marblehead Housing Coalition Chair Peirce Law told the Marblehead Current. 'Long-term noncompliance is not an option, and we fear for the repercussions that Marblehead may soon face.' Wrentham won't fight court ruling; will comply with MBTA Communities Act Judge throws out 'unfunded mandate' lawsuits over MBTA Communities Act Zoning changes under MBTA Communities Act spurs 3K new houses - so far Read the original article on MassLive.
Boston Globe
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Attorney work stoppage sends court officials scrambling
It's a Thousands of such defendants in criminal cases in Middlesex and Suffolk counties have gone without representation, more than a month for some, a potential violation of their constitutional right to counsel that has forced judges to release defendants otherwise eligible to be held on high bail. Advertisement Soon, judges may start dismissing cases outright, based on an emergency protocol invoked in early July by the Supreme Judicial Court. Advertisement 'Things are going to get worse before they get better,' Coffey said in court as he weighed which defendants must be released from jail because there was no way of providing them a lawyer. The stoppage has raised questions about how the state organizes its indigent defense system. In many other states, the majority of defendants who can't afford an attorney are represented by a public defender from a government agency, and the court only appoints private attorneys if there's a conflict of interest, according to Aditi Goel of the Sixth Amendment Center. Only Massachusetts, Maine, and North Dakota rely this heavily on private attorneys, she said. Other states, such as New York and Ohio, task each county with choosing their own approaches, using any combination of public defenders, court-appointed lawyers, or contracted nonprofit organizations. 'There's no correct answer,' said Goel, a former public defender in Boston. 'But this is an opportunity for Massachusetts to look at how it structures its system as compared to other states.' Massachusetts had a similar work stoppage in 2004 in Hampden County, which led to the creation of what is known as the Lavallee protocol. The Supreme Judicial Court invoked the protocol two weeks ago, affirming the right to counsel. It requires judges to release defendants who've been held for more than seven days without access to a lawyer, and to dismiss cases of those who've gone without an attorney for more than 45 days. Hearings to release people through the seven-day rule began this past week, and separate proceedings to dismiss cases will start July 22. But already, the number of defendants affected by the current stoppage has far outpaced those affected a decade ago. Advertisement 'This is a problem that has happened in the past and unless there is a structural shift the concern is that it will happen again in the future,' Goel said. Maine, which has a similar structure for indigent defendants, also was hit with a work stoppage three years ago. In response, the state hired more staff public defenders and nearly doubled its pay rate for private attorneys, to $150, from $80. 'You have to create a healthy mix,' Goel said. Massachusetts officials say they are discussing ways to resolve the crisis with the private attorneys. But the new state budget recently adopted did not include a pay raise for bar advocates, and a resolution doesn't appear to be nearing. In a statement, a spokesperson for Governor Maura Healey said the governor expressed concern and urged the Legislature and bar advocates to reach a resolution. In Massachusetts, bar advocates in district court make $65 an hour, much less than the equivalent in surrounding states. They are seeking a $35-an-hour raise. 'We're sick of being overlooked and taken advantage of year after year after year,' said Elyse Hershon, a bar advocate in Suffolk County who has stopped taking cases. 'We keep the system intact and we have to be paid in accordance with that.' The chair of the state Senate Judiciary committee, Lydia Edwards, an East Boston Democrat, said tactics by bar advocates, particularly during a difficult budget cycle and cuts to federal funding, have bothered Beacon Hill leaders. 'There's a real anger about the bargaining chip being human capital and civil liberties, and that being the reason why we're supposed to pay $100 million dollars,' she said, referencing the amount legislators calculate the $35-a-hour raise would cost. Advertisement With the stoppage showing no sign of ending, the court system, judges, staff public defenders, and prosecutors are scrambling to manage cases under the Lavallee by the end of July, judges will have to decide whether to dismiss outright hundreds of cases. 'We are constantly rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic,' Rebecca Jacobstein, of CPCS, said in court this past week. Over the last week, the crisis was evident in courtrooms from Boston to Lowell. Defendants begged judges for lawyers; some are held, others released. The public defenders with CPCS say they will staff the most serious cases, a pledge that will be challenged as new cases come before the courts. This past week, about 20 people had the first hearings under the protocol, with more than half remaining in custody because either they were assigned a lawyer or CPCS was directed to prioritize their cases. Several of those released were accused of drug offenses or violating probation, though one released man is accused of putting his wife in a headlock until she passed out, and another of stabbing someone with a switchblade. Judges ordered that those men to home confinement monitored by GPS. Meanwhile, a third county, Essex, is 'teetering' on the verge of having too many defendants without representation, Jacobstein said. So, her agency may soon seek to have the recent SJC guidance extend to there as well. The trial court said hearings on releasing defendants will fall into a regular pattern: every Thursday in Boston Municipal Court's central division for all Boston defendants and every Wednesday in Lowell District Court for defendants in Middlesex County and in Suffolk outside of Boston. Advertisement The more consequential hearings on dismissal of cases will begin July 22. There are more than 1,000 defendants who have not had access to a lawyer, and that number is only expected to grow. If a case is dismissed, any conditions of release meant to ensure public safety are removed as well, including GPS monitoring and orders for a defendant not to contact any alleged victim. 'The court has no hold over you,' said Shira Diner, president of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. 'It's a problem for the victims. It's a problem for everyone.' Coffey, the judge in Lowell, faced that dilemma repeatedly last week. At one point, Coffey weighed Jacobstein's concerns about representing a man accused of violating probation after facing a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon. If she took the case, she suggested, her workload would be full, and she could not handle new ones, including more serious cases. 'We've already taken two cases today, that's all we can do,' she said. But Assistant District Attorney Amelia Singh argued the man must be held, she argued, and that means he needs a lawyer. 'We are in crisis, and this is a public safety issue,' she argued. Coffey ordered the man back to jail, deeming the public defender agency must take his case. 'The Lavallee protocol — it's a game of tag," Coffey said. 'Someone has to be the bad guy, and I'm it.' Sean Cotter can be reached at
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Yahoo
Man who sued over delay in parole board hearings is up for parole board hearing this week
For more than 25 years, a Massachusetts man has remained in prison for the murder of a cab driver. But since then, he has not been part of a fight or displayed any acts of aggression. Allen Alston is preparing to plead his case to the parole board this week — a long-awaited and fought-for opportunity for freedom. Alston was part of a group of seven men who sued the Massachusetts Parole Board, Gov. Maura Healey and others over a delay in conducting parole hearings for people who were unconstitutionally sentenced to life in prison without the possibly of parole. Read more: Advocates push for 'full conversation' on life without parole sentences In a 4-3 Supreme Judicial Court decision issued Jan. 11, 2024, emerging adults between the ages of 18-20 cannot be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The high court ruled life sentences for defendants within that age group are unconstitutional and amount to 'cruel and unusual punishment.' Due to the decision, Alston, who was 19 at the time of the murder, was allowed to go in front of the parole board for the first time. But he was forced to continue waiting as the parole board worked to schedule hearings for about 127 other people who became parole-eligible as a matter of the law. Six months after the decision, the parole board sent a letter stating it had planned 'to start scheduling hearings in September as time permits.' Read more: Worcester man who killed and burned woman on rooftop asks for parole 'We hope you will be understanding and patient as this is an unprecedented amount of additional cases to add to the Parole Board's calendar,' the letter stated. More than a year later, 'not one Plaintiff has had a parole hearing or even had their hearing scheduled,' the lawsuit stated. Robert Francis, 78, one of the men involved in the lawsuit, was told in November 2024 that with the new law he was eligible for parole back in 2010 and that his hearing would be scheduled. It was scheduled for Dec. 18, 2024. On April 8, he was granted parole. 'Francis has had an extraordinarily positive adjustment throughout his incarceration, with no disciplinary reports, and has held positions of great trust. He has invested in self-development and maintains a significant support system,' the parole board's decision read. But others involved in the lawsuit had to continue waiting for their hearings. Read more: Mass man who thought he'd never leave prison finally admits his crime — and may go home Alston's hearing is set for Wednesday morning. Tanzerlus Anderson and Samuel Smith's first hearing aren't scheduled until August — nearly two years after the decision. It is unclear when Jabrai Copney, Lewis Franklin or Christopher Middlemiss will have their hearings. The lawsuit was dismissed at the end of May. But that decision has since been appealed. Then Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and Attorney General's office did not comment on the lawsuit. On Wednesday, Alston will head from MCI Shirley to face the parole board in Natick. During the hearing, he will tell the board why he is ready for parole, answer its questions and hear from those for and against his release. Then he will head back to MCI Shirley, where he will likely have to wait months for a decision. Mass. man spent 32 years in prison claiming innocence. He hoped parole would free him Parole denied for Mass. man who raped 14-year-old he met at library After serving time for 1992 Tasty Chicken killing, paroled man detained by ICE Man convicted of fatal shooting at Mattapan ice cream parlor in 1990 gets parole 'Yes, I stabbed him': Woman paroled after fatal Christmas week stabbing amid abuse claims Read the original article on MassLive.
