Ex-Wife Has Ken Newell Arrested Again By Holbrook, Brockton Police

His former wife has mental problems and has filed 26 frivolous charges of violence against Ken Newell over the past three years, but the Brockton and Holbrook police didn't hesitate to arrest him again last month after more spurious charges came from the former wife.

The police in both towns know about the false reports that the wife has filed and about the court's psychiatric report which says she has mental problems.

Newell spent Saturday and Sunday nights in jail before being released on his own recognizance.

"This is a classic case of an unlawful arrest where the police had no probable cause to arrest," said Atty. J. Edward Pawlick, publisher of Massachusetts News.

He noted that a federal judge in Boston held last year that a policeman had to carefully investigate to see whether there was probable cause before arresting a man who was accused by his wife of violating a restraining order.

"Obviously, that was not done here by either police department. If they had, they would have laughed at her. These police and the towns can and will be sued," said Atty. Pawlick.

Newell stands in front of the Brockton police department where he was kept in a filthy jail cell for two days even though the police knew about his wife's mental problems.

Newell points to spot on other side of fence where ex-wife was parked although she was supposed to be in the front of the building.

The federal case last year involved the City of Lawrence which was settled last month with a cash payment of $5,000 to the father, who tried the case himself.

Police Violate Their Oath

He went to a visitation center in Brockton where he picks up his children every Thursday and every other Saturday for visits. On that day, he was told to arrive at the center fifteen minutes before 9 a.m. and park behind the building. He then enters the building when an employee opens the back door and signals him.

The former wife is supposed to arrive with the children at 9 a.m., park in front of the building and enter through the front door.

The children get transferred to a room in the rear of the building to join their father. The woman is supposed to wait there while Newell leaves with the children.

According to Newell, on Saturday morning, October 13, he arrived at the visitation center at twenty minutes to nine. Another gentleman arrived a few minutes later and they stood waiting in the lot discussing flag stickers on their trucks.

"Then a girl came to the back door and opened it, so we had to go in," said Newell.

"As we were walking up to the door, on my left-hand side, there is another parking lot about thirty feet away divided from us by a six-foot-high, chain link, security fence.

My ex-wife pulled into that parking lot, then all of a sudden backed up fast because she saw me. Then she stopped. I looked and gave a smile to my daughter. Then we walked into the building."

Newell waited inside until five minutes after nine. "The woman came out and said, 'Your kids did not want to go with you. You're going to have to wait here an additional ten minutes for the wife and kids to drive away.'"

The rest of Newell's morning and afternoon, he says, was filled with business paperwork and various errands. Newell then went to a friend's restaurant where he did some work.

At quarter-to-five, as Newell left the restaurant, two Holbrook police cruisers drove up and blocked his vehicle.

Newell says the police informed him that he was under arrest for violation of 209A (restraining order) because he saw his wife at the visitation center.

Newell told the police he did not violate the order. He said he was at the center for the visitation and the former wife arrived early and parked in the wrong lot.

Visitation Center Employees Agree with Newell

According to the police report, the employees at the visitation center agreed with Newell's story. The report says, "Victim Catherine was not parked in the correct parking lot."

The former wife told police that when she drove up, she saw Newell put his hands in his pockets and give her a "penetrating, mean looking stare." She also complained he was six to nine feet away from her when he should be one hundred yards away.

The daughter agreed that Newell made a face, according to police. Newell explained that his former wife tries to alienate his children from him and tells their daughter what to say, a common complaint among divorced fathers without custody.

According to the police report, the former wife was upset when she went into the visitation center. She asked two employees to keep Newell there for twenty minutes while she drove away to call the police. She also told them to tell Newell that the children did not want to visit with him today.

Filthy Jail at Brockton

Newell was kept at the Brockton police station from Saturday through to Monday. There was blood on the walls and floor in the holding cell. He was told the previous occupant smashed his head on the wall and was bleeding. Nobody cleaned up the mess.

"The cell was very filthy. There was urine on the walls, spit on the walls, plus the blood and everything else. The toilet reeked. There were ants floating around on the floor and I slept on a hard wooden board," said an unshaven Newell after he was released.

Newell stood with his hands and feet shackled at his arraignment Monday in Brockton District Court. He was released on his own recognizance and his case was continued until Nov. 30.

Brockton and Holbrook Violated Constitution

It was Judge Edward F. Harrington who said last year that a policeman and Lawrence could be liable for damages in his U.S. court for doing what the Brockton and Holbrook police did to Ken Newell.

The city of Lawrence attempted to have the case thrown out before a trial was held. But the judge refused to do so, holding that if the plaintiff could prove what he alleged in his Complaint, he would be entitled to cash damages.

The facts in Newell's case appear to be stronger for the father than they were in Judge Harrington's case.

The policeman there argued to Judge Harrington that he had followed Massachusetts law. He claimed he had investigated the case thoroughly and had good reason to arrest the plaintiff because he had obtained a copy of the restraining order, researched the law, consulted with both his supervisor, Sgt. Robert Nochnuck, and the clerk magistrate of the Lawrence District Court, Keith E. McDonough, before issuing a warrant for the arrest of the plaintiff.

However, the father-plaintiff in that case, James Nollet, argued that under a 1991 opinion, Lewis v. Kendrick, from the U.S. Court of Appeals in Boston, the policeman should have realized that the accusation by the ex-wife was totally unsupported and unverifiable and therefore did not constitute probable cause. He argued that the police can not arrest as soon as they hear an accusation from a woman without determining that there was probable cause to arrest.

He also argued to the judge that the policeman made no attempt to talk to him and hear his side of the case before issuing the warrant for his arrest.

In the present case, the harassment of Ken Newell is legend in both towns and the police know all about it.

In the case from the U.S. Court of Appeals which was cited by Judge Harrington, the court wrote that "an asserted victim of a crime is a reliable informant even though his or her reliability has not theretofore been proven or tested," but, if possible to do so, the officer must verify the facts and cannot take the word of just the alleged victim.

Nollet sought damages for "false arrest" and "false imprisonment." He told the court in his original Complaint, "[T]his is urgent because [plaintiff] believes Defendant's illegal warrant and arrest was not an isolated incident, but rather is something that happens frequently and routinely in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in that men are always arrested, even without Probable Cause, as soon as police officers understand that it is an accusation of Domestic Violence or violation of a Restraining Order that has been made. It is Plaintiff's belief that police officers everywhere must be sent a message that constitutionally sub-standard arrests cannot and will not be tolerated, even if such arrests are performed to attempt to alleviate the serious problem of Domestic Violence."

Told He Will 'Never Win'

When Newell and his wife first separated, the court psychologist, Dr. Krock, advised Newell, to leave the state and his children. "Ken, you have to understand one thing. You will never win," she said, continuing, "The best thing for you to do is let your wife have everything she wants. Give the kids to your wife and leave the state for a few years. Then come back and everything will be calm."

Attorney Chester Darling tells Massachusetts News, "This newest case is another instance of an abuse of the court system by women who deliberately manipulate it to their advantage and to the disadvantage of their children. It's always the children that get hurt in these procedures, and it's my intent to bring an abuse of process action against this person to stop her from this illegal activity."

What Is Wrong with Holbrook and Brockton?

The last time Ken Newell’s former wife called the police was on November 30 last year. She told a Plymouth police officer that Newell was following her in his truck. He was, in fact, out with friends that evening in another town. The police officer noticed that the woman’s story did not add up after questioning, and he wrote in his report: “At this time I asked Ms. Newell to fill out a victim statement form. Ms. Newell was adamant about not filling out the form. Ms. Newell further stated that she does not want any further police services. Due to the inconsistencies of Ms. Newell's statement and the lack of cooperation, this officer is not seeking any charges in this incident.”