Holyoke Police Chief Looking for Signatures to Make Judges Accountable

By Ed Oliver
January 9, 2003

Holyoke Police Chief Anthony R. Scott tells MassNews he has collected about 8,000 signatures so far to support a proposed Constitutional Amendment to make judges accountable to the people.

He is not required to gather any signatures at all for his Amendment which has been introduced by Legislators, but he would like to bring as many as possible when he testifies in support of the proposed Amendment.

He would like more citizens to visit his website at http://www.massjudgesaccountability.us/
to download and sign petitions and mail them back to his office.

State Senator Michael Knapik and Representative Michael Kane along with Sen. Brian Lees and Sen. Richard Tisei have filed the proposed Constitutional Amendment. A hearing date has not been scheduled yet. The temporary tracking number is Senate Docket # 380

Chief Scott tells MassNews he is taking additional steps. "I am urging my city solicitor to file a civil action against all of the judges who sat in Holyoke District Court from January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2002, because of their failure to collect the state-mandated fines for defendants who failed to show in court.

"I am also talking with the Attorney General for the state, asking him to do the same against the judges in Holyoke and the judges across the state for their failure to adhere to Chapter 276, Section 30 of the Mass. General Laws for collecting fines for those who fail to show.

"The judges have failed to collect a quarter of a million dollars in fines owed to the city of Holyoke. If they have done that in Holyoke, just think what they owe in Springfield, Worcester, Boston and Chicopee."

Scott said he is pushing hard for the civil suits to be filed because the money will be coming out of the criminals' pockets, not the taxpayers.

Asked if he has the support of other police chiefs, Scott said that the Western Mass. Chiefs of Police Association voted unanimously last year to support his efforts in dealing with judges. The organization is composed of Chiefs of Police from the four Counties of Western Massachusetts, Franklin, Berkshire, Hampden and Hampshire.

The chief has been busy asking other police organizations to have a physical presence at the Joint House/Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

Under the amendment proposed by Chief Scott, judges will continue to be appointed by the Governor and certified by the Governor's Council. However, after six years and every six years thereafter, the citizens of Massachusetts must certify them in an election.