Fattman, McKenna push domestic violence bill protecting survivors working contract jobs
Ariane Vigna
BOSTON A bill extending workplace protections for domestic violence survivors working in contract jobs is aimed a closing a loophole that allowed a woman to be put out of a job after she missed work to recover from domestic violence injuries, according to sponsors Sen. Ryan C. Fattman, R-Sutton, and Rep. Joseph D. McKenna, R-Webster.
The current state labor law allows for a leave of absence of 15 days for direct employees who were victims of domestic violence. It does not extend to contracted workers such as Amanda Dabrowski, who was fatally stabbed in 2019 by her former partner Carlos Asencio at O’Connor’s Restaurant & Bar in Worcester.
WORCESTER - With COVID-19 leading to a backlog in court cases across the state, local judges and lawyers are grappling with a variety of issues as they consider whether they can try and conduct murder trials this spring.
Concerns about safety, jurors skipping service and the possibility of participants having to wear masks were among potential pitfalls raised Monday as one local judge probed the topic.
Worcester Superior Court Judge Daniel M. Wrenn is calling dozens of pending murder cases in for status hearings this week, telling lawyers he’s working on identifying which cases should be prioritized for possible trials this spring.