------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Voir Dire Bill
"This is a bill that's designed to root out
prejudice, bias and racism. We can't understand why the judges
would oppose the measure."
MBA Chief Legal Counsel and Chief
Operating Officer Martin W. Healy, Boston Business Journal, July 15
Healy spoke to the Boston Business Journal for a story
on a bill that would change the way jurors are selected in
Massachusetts. The House approved the bill in June, which would
make attorney conducted voir dire questioning permissible across
the Superior Court. "We would say it saves money and expedites the
process of juror selection," said Healy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Trooper's Driving Record
"Everybody's entitled to one
mistake. But if there really is a huge, huge, number, just kind of
layering one on top of another..."
MBA Past Criminal Justice
Section Chair Peter Elikann, NECN, July 14
Elikann was interviewed by NECN for a story on Massachusetts
State Police Sgt. Sean Gately who was recently placed on probation
without pay for allegedly driving drunk and causing an accident
last month while off-duty in Chelmsford. Gately's driving record
also includes previous accidents and criminal misdemeanors of
speeding and reckless driving.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of Note:
- MBA President Douglas K. Sheff was quoted by several news
outlets in the coverage of a fatal Lowell fire which occurred July
10. Sheff represents some of the families of the victims. "These
families have a right to preserve the evidence they may need to
find out the truth about what happened," Sheff told the Boston Globe ("Lowell fire tied to an
electrical failure - July 15). Other coverage included WCVB, WHDH, Boston.com, the Boston Herald and the Lowell Sun.
- The lead editorial in the July 11 edition of the Boston Globe referenced a recent report issued by the MBA's Blue Ribbon
Commission on Criminal Justice Attorney Compensation. "As he
scrutinizes a budget that gives raises to more top earners,
Governor Patrick should give serious thought to those who are
working and languishing at the bottom of the criminal justice
system," stated the editorial.
- In a FY 2015 budget amendment, Massachusetts Gov. Deval
L. Patrick named the Massachusetts Bar Association to a
commission on low assistant prosecutor/public defender pay. The MBA
released a statement, and the Boston Business Journal covered the
story.