A Rare Victory for Transparency. Massachusetts Could Use Many More.
The statue of justice.
COVID-19 has taught us all about the importance of vaccines. When it comes to government, as Bono put it, “we know that the biggest disease of all is not a disease. It’s corruption. But there’s a vaccine for that too. It’s called transparency.”
Massachusetts is in the midst of wrongdoing on an unprecedented scale. Thousands of convictions had to be vacated because of the corruption of state drug laboratory chemists. Thousands more convictions were vacated because of the combined misconduct of the chemists and prosecutors. And still more will be vacated because of the Commonwealth’s repeated and deliberate failures to investigate the extent to which its evidence was compromised.
Hammond also was found guilty of nine counts of endangering the welfare of another, four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of animal cruelty and one count of criminal mischief.
Hammond, however, was found not guilty of one count of attempted murder.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 9.
Hammond was charged with setting fire to the Starview Drive home on Dec. 30, 2018, because of a tumultuous relationship with his on again, off again girlfriend, Somerset County Assistant Prosecutor Frank Kolodzieski said during the trial.
Eight people living in the home off Amwell Road were displaced by the fire, which started about 12:40 a.m. No injuries or deaths were reported, though two cats died of smoke inhalation.
By TAPINTO EAST ORANGE / ORANGE STAFF
March 31, 2021 at 11:50 PM
Credits: TAPinto.net File Photo
March 31, 2021 at 11:50 PM
(EAST ORANGE/ORANGE, NJ) - On this last day of Women’s History Month, before the clock strikes 12 midnight, TAPinto wanted to pause from all the Coronavirus news and take the time to highlight women in our communities making a difference.
In honor of the many s-heroes, we have created our second annual “East Orange and Orange 100 Women of Power and Progress” list.
The criteria used to select each woman was as follows: 1. The woman must be a resident of or work in East Orange or Orange. 2. She must use her life and platforms by way of career, volunteerism, social media, etc. to promote positivity, unity, and the uplifting of other women within one of the two municipalities and beyond.
Department of Corrections contractor admits false rape allegation to cover up her own sexual misconduct
A state Department of Corrections contractor admitted Monday she falsely accused an inmate of raping her after Kitsap County sheriff s detectives began investigating her for pressuring the man into sex.
Taressa Jolene Browning, 32, met the man while working as a facility monitor for Progress House, a company the state uses to operate its Peninsula Work Release facility on Lloyd Parkway in Port Orchard.
Her job was to monitor inmates after their release from prison and drive them to and from work.
On Monday, Browning was sentenced to 180 days in jail and will have to register as a sex offender. Last month she pleaded guilty to first-degree custodial sexual misconduct, second-degree extortion, malicious prosecution and attempted first-degree sexual misconduct.