Man Who Exposed Corruption in Mass. Courts May Be Thrown in Jail Today
       Kevin Thompson, high school science teacher and author of a book entitled “Exposing the Corruption in Massachusetts Family Courts” about his struggle with the probate court system, is scheduled to face one of the judges he criticizes in his book, and may be actually sent to jail for publicizing his case.
       Judge Mary McCauley Manzi of the Family Court in Lawrence has impounded the court records in Thompson’s custody case and also issued a restraining order forbidding him from publishing significant portions of his book. Thompson has continued to distribute his book as is.
       Said Dan Hogan, Executive Director of Fathers & Families, “Thompson’s case presents a number of potential First Amendment issues, including whether impoundment is legitimate when files have previously been open to the public, and determining what constitute legitimate grounds for restricting the distribution of court records.”
       Thompson is to appear in court at 9 a.m.in the new courthouse at 2 Appleton Street, Lawrence. The hearing is scheduled to be about whether Thompson must pay his ex-wife’s attorney's fees. It is well known family court judges frequently act on other matters without notice. So, it's quite possible that Thompson may be found in contempt of Judge Manzi's order not to distribute his book. If this happens, he may well face a jail sentence.