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Divorced
Father Begins Jail Sentence for Refusing to Sign 'Confession'
Fathers Believe it is Unfair Massachusetts News September 2--After two years of hearings, continuances and courthouse protests, Harry Stewart was shackled and taken to the Dedham House of Correction to begin serving his six-month jail sentence last month. Stewart had been sentenced to two years probation and a suspended six month sentence pending completion of a batterers program. He was later denied entry into the program run by a private company because he refused to sign a document that required him to admit to acts of violence. Stewart has never been violent, and his restraining order violations are all of the no-contact provision. In Stewart’s first appearance last month before Judge Mark Coven of Quincy District Court, he explained why he was refused admission to the program and stated his objections of conscience. Judge Coven then referred Stewart to another program, with instructions to return later in the day. Stewart discovered that all the state’s batterers programs have the same requirement of guilt-admission, and he was unable to persuade the program to allow him to enroll without admitting to crimes he never committed. Judge Coven banged the gavel of finality around 3 p.m., August 17, at Stewart’s third and final appearance before him that day. Stewart was tried and convicted on June 21, 1997, of violating a restraining order when he left his car to assist his 5-year-old son’s return to his mother’s home. The conditions of the order required him to remain in his car at visitation pick-up/drop-offs. Stewart’s son was unable to open the apartment complex outside door, and after futile attempts to get his ex-wife’s attention by honking his car horn, Stewart got out of his car to help his son get in the home. Stewart gave an emotional speech to the court, closing
with "God save the children," which was greeted by applause by his many
supporters from the Fatherhood Coalition present in the courtroom. Judge
Coven immediately ordered the supporters out of the courtroom. When the
sentence was pronounced, several battered women’s advocates and women from
the district attorney’s office showed their approval by clapping. They
were not ordered out of the courtroom
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