Supreme Judicial Court upholds Easthampton man’s murder conviction
Updated May 14, 2021;
In a decision released Friday, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld a 2014 murder conviction that sent an Easthampton man to prison for the rest of his life.
Attorneys for Ryan Welch, convicted in the slaying of his girlfriend Jessica Pripstein, argued that judges involved in the case allowed evidence that should have been withheld.
In its ruling, the SJC upheld rulings by judges C. Jeffrey Kinder and Daniel A. Ford and denied Welch a new trial.
“Finding no reversible error either in any issues raised by the defendant in our review under G.L.C. 276, we affirm the defendant’s conviction and the order denying his motion for a new trial,” the justices wrote in a 40-page decision.
Former Easthampton High School students settle racial lawsuit against school and city
Updated Feb 27, 2021;
Two former Easthampton High School students have settled their lawsuit against the city of Easthampton and high school administrators four years after a schoolyard fight over racial slurs resulted in a student of color being arrested and charged as an adult, and prompted a state investigation that found, “a racially discriminatory disciplinary policy” at the high school.
Joshua Brown and Zade Jenkins sued the city, school department, Easthampton High School Principal Kevin Burke, Police Office Rick Rogalski, School Superintendent Nancy Follansbee and Police Chief Robert Alberti charging they failed to protect students of color after Brown’s March 2017 fight with a white student.