PEDOFIELD SCHOOL COMMITTEE HIDES IN A ZOOM AMID GROWING SCANDAL; SPECIAL MEETING TONIGHT, PUBLIC NOT INVITED
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE MONDAY DEC. 30, 2024) — After angry citizens packed the previous meeting of the city school committee over the growing, alledged drugs-pedi scandal, the character of “Official” Pedofield has been revealed. The enablers there got wise.
The PSC’s “special meeting” is scheduled for tonight (Dec. 30), but get this, lifted by THE PLANET directly from the Pedofield website home page:
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Revised Agenda
A couple of things immediately jump out:
- The gathering will be a “Virtual Meeting Via Zoom.”
- If you click the hot link for the agenda, you will see this ominous sentence in bold face: “There will be no public participation.”
Read that again.
Are you shocked?
That should tell Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski everything they need to know about the intent of the PSC with respect to getting to the bottom of the goings on: They want to keep you in the dark and shut you out. You only pay for the whole shit show.
Here’s the list of the PSC’s wonders: Bill Cameron, chair; Dan Elias, vice-chair; Diana Belair; Bill Garrity; Sara Hathaway; Dominick Sacco; mayor Peter Marchetti. As a body, they didn’t even have the courtesy of holding the meeting before the most important “Officials” in the city: We The People, the theoretical owners of government.
———- ooo ———-
“There will be no public participation” — Pittsfield School Committee on its “special meeting” into the alleged drug-pedo scandal
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When the elected officials of so-called “representative” government no longer represent the citizens, we no longer have a functioning government. Rather, we have a scam, what amounts to a bunco crime in all but the name. With transparency lost, We The People have no guarantee that officials will act honorably. If we invoke the sad history of Pedofield going back decades, the smart money would bet the house that this meeting of the PSC will be doing the work not of The Kapanskis but of the special interests. Who can blame outraged citizens for thinking a coverup is in the works and that “the fix is in?”
At the meeting, the PSC will hire the Springfield law firm of Bulkley Richardson Gelinas to “independently” investigate (Agenda item V), Then, as agenda item VII tells us, the murky board will go into the black hole of “executive session,” which means “Citizens Keep Out! This Means You.”
———- ooo ———-
In Pedofield, answers are still not forthcoming. THE PLANET speaks of five governing bodies–the mayor’s office, the city council, the school committee, the school department, and the PHS administration. Each has in their own fashion circled the wagons, apparently determined to put to rest any serious investigation into what’s really been occurring in the dark slime.
FYI, THE PLANET has contacted Cameron, Marchetti, and the law firm, asking a series of questions about the law firm and the investigation. Only Cameron has responded. He sent this:
Dear Mr. Valenti,
“Speak the truth. Transparency breeds legitimacy” — John C. Maxwell.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Pittsfield politics purges public participation 12/30/2024’s School Committee Zoom meeting with NO open mic to ask questions about their vote this evening to hire a DEI-stacked law firm to limit the city and school district’s legal liabilities, and nobody knows anything about the alleged cocaine trafficking and alleged pedophiles who work for the Pittsfield public school district.
Doing the Dem Dance for the New Year!! No surprise
Happy Trump Year! It’s going to be the best year ever. Good things will come, and the best is yet to come!.
How is this surprising? It’s always the Pedo’s wish not to be seen because they know it’s wrong and disgusting to abuse children. In B*tchfield everything is covered up or you get the “slap”!. The corruption in the School Dept goes back before Cameron but he is deep in the stench. Why the city decides when they are vetting for a new Supt. to let the teachers and school dept pick their leader is beyond me. They even do it thinking they are “inclusive” by letting a couple of parents be eye candy in the search because they don’t listen to the parents input. Why isn’t TSC/JM’s favorite department The DOE stepping in and taking over control of this mess? From what I hear if there is a true investigation many involved in city politics could have charges against them for things that they did in the past. Could this be the reason?
And after its covered up, you can have your second act in America and open up a breakfast spot across from the courthouse that serves eggs, mimosas and a fuck you attitude if you dare complain about the hair in your food!
The fundamental obligation of elected persons is to provide complete accountability for the spending of taxpayers’ funds.
They can run, but they cannot hide behind executive session. When negotiations are complete, the hearing becomes public.
What goes on in Bitchfield stays in Bitchfield.
Remember all of this the next time you hear, “It’s for the children,” when talks surface about cutting the Pedofield Public Scohols budget.
Pedofield Public Scohols has CHILD MOLESTERS and DRUG DEALERS, as school administrators.
If it were really “for the children,” they would publicly out every last one of these sh!tbags. NOT SHUT THE TAXPAYING CITIZENS OUT!!!
And not hire some BS law firm that needs “safe spaces” at work and fosters a strong DEI stance.
Isn’t it the DEI hiring practices what got us here in the first place?
*** “When you repeat a mistake; it’s not a mistake anymore, it’s a decision,” Paul Coelho
MA: “Isn’t it the DEI hiring practices what got us here in the first place”?
Meritocracy and equity cannot be reconciled, and unfortunately, we are currently in an age where equity reigns supreme.
Is Cameron oblivous, or does he think we’re stupid?
He does not think we are totally stupid, but he knows the people in Pittsfield are pretty much powerless to effect real change. This whole school drug and pedo scandal will be traveling down the dumbwaiter to the basement after an appropriate time to let the people mellow a bit and the new crisis to take center stage.
What was the last situation where a Pittsfield higher up was appropriately dealt with as would a non-gosib reglar person be? The people in charge may change from time to time but their character does not.
Is there a way to call for recall votes in the city charter? If so what is the process?
On a national level, FJB is doing all he can to destroy America be he leaves. Another 2.5 BILLION to launder in Zelensky’s Ukraine
Recall begin 4/25. If you can do better than those already in office (should be a lot of hands raised), get City Hall in April and put your name on a candidate sheet. Sweep those rotten worms and caterpillars out of there.
Thankfully I’m out of town.
But the BS and corruption in THE PITT effects everyone in B county.
It seems the whole of PPS is infested with pedophiles/groomers and drug dealers/users.
Don’t expect to hear from Marchetti until he finds a new speechwriter. Mr. Ice Road Trucker is polling higher than the mayor of Pittsfield this week.
Doesn’t this violate the open meetings law? Or will the public be able to view and not be able to speak.
Gee, I wonder who’s idea it was to tell the public to sit down and shut up?
CCC! Curtis Cameron Collusion.
Well, if they allow the public to speak, there wouldn’t be a lot of time to talk about how much sleep they’ve lost.
The last time they let someone speak a guy stood up and reported that he was bullied and no one would help him. This was most embarrassing even though they knew all about it.
The last thing Marchetti and White want is anyone else who was mistreated to step up before the cameras and tell their story. Playing whack a mole as it is. Wonder if Earl is still off the leash.
Perhaps any child who feels like he or she was mistreated should go first to legal counseling and let them take the reins.
Lumpy, Wimpy White, and Pedofield Scohol Committee, can’t have young white students talking about Lavonte Wiggins ignoring their complaints.
It undermines DEI principles. Especially when the offenders are ACTUALLY the POC themselves.
*A true investigation would definitely include EVERY white student who had a complaint that was ignored by Lavonte and/or others.
*Next, ask those same white students, what students of color tended to ALWAYS be around Lavonte.
I’d bet my pension those named students were probably in biz with Lavonte.
***Do any of you believe a law firm strongly entrenched in DEI will find fault in DEI and DEI hires?
You know, on the campaign trail, I can attest to the fact that afro americans, and everyone else for that matter, were upset and worried about the pittsfield culture of drugs.
It was an African American gentleman on Dalton Ave who expressed discomfort with the pot shops and access to his teenage sons.They are choicing out too.
It is said that Pittsfield has a culture problem. A culture of complicity in hiding anything that reflects poorly on the city or those running it, whether they are elected or pulling strings behind the scenes.
If a legitimate news outlet wanted to do a deep dive expose they could. But if they were actually part of the problem they might just want it to all go away as well.
December 30, 2024
“Act on Mass was founded with the vision of a Massachusetts in which all people, not just the wealthy and corporations, are able to have a say in the policies that shape their lives. We must shift the political power in Massachusetts back to the grassroots, where it belongs, but it’s not easy to pry that power out of the hands of wealthy corporate interests.” – Brenna Ransden (she/her) Organizing Director, Act on Mass
I received a political email today that contradicts the way the Boston’s corrupt and secretive Statehouse really governs the people and taxpayers of Massachusetts. I remember when my dad, Bob, was a Berkshire County Commissioner in the late-1990’s, and when he went to the Boston State House Committee hearings about county and regional government back then, the then state lawmakers looked annoyed with him when he spoke to them for 3 minutes because all they wanted to do was rubber stamp the bill(s) and then go fundraising to fill their campaign coffers with special interest dollars.
The Boston Statehouse is full of greedy career politicians and lobbyists who only care about money and power for their own special interests. When one tells them about grassroots politics, they become irritated with you. They want MONEY, not democracy. It is even worse in the Swamp where the Capitol Hill should have billboards that read “PAY to PLAY”. Congress Members should be renamed PAC Man and Ms. PAC Man. There should be signs that warn the visiting commoners of HOT AIR from the millionaires who buy their seats in the unpopular Federal Legislature.
Then, in my native hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the Chair of the School Committee, Dr. Bill Cameron, who is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met in my life of 49-years of age, is shutting out the public from open mic FREE SPEECH at tonight’s SPECIAL School Committee meeting on Zoom that is dealing with allegations of cocaine trafficking by an African-American Pittsfield High School (PHS) Dean of Students staff member, along with allegations of public school district staff members having sex with minor students, along with a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former female student at PHS by a now retired male English teacher who has an history of alleged inappropriate behavior in the classroom.
Dr. Bill Cameron proposes hiring a law firm that deals with DEI legal matters to so-called investigate the controversial scandals in the Pittsfield School District. But on Dan Valenti’s blog named PLANET VALENTI, his proposal that is up for a vote tonight in the School Committee’s SPECIAL meeting is being questioned on many levels, including, but not limited to, the city/school district hiring a stacked law firm to limit the city and school district’s legal liabilities instead of providing legal discovery to the general public of the true events and actions of the school district’s staff members.
Jonathan A. Melle
P.S. PHS is my Alma Mater (class of 1993).
Melle, YOU support all these crooks and vote D-rat. They are ALL D-0rats.
Tell Maura Healey and D-Mayor Basstun Wu, Tom Homan is coming to town………
This is our new White House.
The current Mayor, TSC and CC is not the answer to fixing our failing education system. All leadership past and present is exactly why the current “Didn’t Earn It” education system is in the sewer.
The country is a sewar
Thank Biden for that!
Mayor Clueless Lumpy Marchetti certainly meant it when he created his motto ONE PITTSFIELD! Little did we all know that this would not include us taxpayers’ input on major issues affecting the city we pay high taxes in. First the garbage toter program, now this pedophile cocaine cover-up.
This zoom meeting reeks of the usual behind the door coverups in the city administration. The same school committee that was also “clueless” as to what was going on in our schools is making this decision for this law firm whose website is covered with DEI nonsense. Safe room, give me a break. Is this firm being hired to “legally coverup” the criminal actions or to investigate to get the truth? Were any other law firms even considered? Where is our Clowncil voices about this locking out the public tonight? Seems that a private investigation company should be looking into all the pathetic actions against public hires that are supposed to teach our children not a law firm. Who is getting paid off this time to vote for what they have been told to do? Bottom line is taxpayers have absolutely NO ONE voicing our concerns.
Clueless Marchetti is supposed to be the boss of this failing City, he is failing us taxpayers left and right, yet he thinks we should feel sorry for him because he can’t sleep. Give me a friggin break. Look at all the taxpayers that have sleepless nights trying to figure out how they can afford living in their home because of high taxes yet watch their city falling apart before their eyes every day wondering what they are doing with our tax money.
Marchetti, I hope you have sleepless nights for the next 5 years. You have brought this on all by yourself by being “clueless” in the city you are supposed to be managing. You have done nothing to help the taxpayers! None of us deserve the lies and deception coming out of your do nothing screwed up administration.
You keep allowing Morales to screw up our streets and Curtis to screw up out school system. What are you afraid of? You need to grow some, if you EVEN know what that means.
So Bitchfield wanted to know who is hiring this firm and how were ther chosen? So,he didn’t know and if he did when. It was very unclear why they were chosen because they’ve been around 100 years that’s the reason that would be the reason not to have them investigate this or whatever they’re supposed to be doing. And especially if they’re from Springfield. Springfield is the conduit of small cities North of Boston in law making decisions.
Let the Feds and Attorney General do there thing and supply the Sochol Clownmittee with the findings and results. Yes,keep them all on Administrative leave that I save a lot of money. If or when they’re found guilty then fire their asses. You don’t need a law firm to investigate practice.
So the real question is where is DA law and order??? MIA! This scandal and all the players are right here under the nose of law enforcement and now we need a outside law firm? Paid for by the taxpayers? Seriously..
Crime in this city is at a all time high. The crime rate puts North Adams and Pittsfirld at 6th in the State.
The Mayor ran on the same thing.. All BS!! We have meetings about where to put a merry go round while businesses are leaving the city.
The downtown continues to be a cesspool of beggars and junkies.
A School
Run by Drug dealers and..,. Fi in the blank
So disgusted!
All you’ll hear at the stooge meeting tonight is the decide on the law firm and subsequent costs the woman want to pay ( support ). Who’s kidding whom? Help ME Rhonda .
Channel 13 reported.Supposedly the reason for zoom is to get all the school committee members together.
Many were missing so it didn’t quite work
Who would want to put their face on this disaster? However everyone should have made sure to be part of it because that is what they were voted into office for, if they can’t stand the heat then they should not even be close to the kitchen. I guess B*tchfield is also chickenfield and whitelinesfield and pedofield,and DIEField and etc..
Who was absent?
Mentally, almost all of them
I really am curious – who did not show up for a special meeting of importance?
https://youtu.be/yuxiZNFJV0s?si=bK_QRzF7qa5J4aq2
No good SOBs on the sochol Committee could not even show up on zoom.
Citizens should show up at their homes and protest. And a good gathering outside Shitty Hall is long overdue.
LARRY
You mention businesses leaving, and you are correct. The other side is that new businesses won’t dare come to Pedofield. This school mess is the biggest (and will be the most successful) anti-business advertisement of all time. Smart businesses want a decent school system. The PSD is a cesspool with leakage.
Marchetti and White cannot sleep at night because they are having a hard time figuring out how to jam a 30 million dollar ball park special interest venue down the throats of the taxpayers who seem sidetracked with pedos and cocaine dealers on the staff of their school system and no one in charge noticed anything for years.
But the special interests want their promised ballpark and the mayor and his sidekick need to find a way to make it happen or risk a spanking.
Funny how when they want a ballpark all the administrators in the city have opinions but when serious dangers lurk in the schools they don’t know nuttin. Have not seen or heard anything at all.
Does the school committee get paid and have an expense account and don’t they get city paid health insurance? And if so, WHY?
They get paid. Off.
Linduh and Lumpy always come up with better bad ideas
Yes, curious that the local DA did not weigh in on any part of this.
Or is it just not something he would be concerned with?
Anybody know, WTF is up with the JUMP , RICKY RUMPIS installed on Holmes Rd next to Dawes?
That is dangerous!!!
The Marchetti speed lump
Don’t take your car down Reid Street off of South St.either. You’ll end up in Firestone,literally,and figuratively. Now if you really want a thrill ride, go the speed limit on Partridge Rd to Oak Hill.
Lenox has Olivia’s overlook and Pittsfield has Lumpy’s speed lumps.
It’s a free amusement park ride and totally ridiculous. Why didn’t they just install a pedestrian push button light at the crosswalk, instead of a massive bump? Lenox installed several a few years back and they are reasonable. This one is a got damn safety hazard. Whoever approved it should be tarred and feathered and fed to the birds!
The jumps in Lenox were not needed either.
True, but the bumps sizes are more reasonable.
This so-called executive session that the city Council and the school board use all the time should be done away with let thetaxpayers know what’s going on. If it’s done in private, it shouldn’t be done at all.
In this excellent article by Brandon Smith, he makes 6 important points;
1) celebrities & media don’t matter anymore,
2) Dems realize abortion is not a winning issue,
3) the transing of children is a red line for most Americans,
4) nobody cares about making a woman president,
5) open borders ideology is DEAD, and
6) comedy is making a comeback
https://alt-market.us/celebrating-the-death-of-woke-and-the-resurrection-of-common-sense/
Has the MA Attorney General been contacted about the Pittsfield Schools’ multiple issues?
From Pittsfield Press Information excerpt
The investigation, Cameron said, will focus on alleged misbehavior by faculty at the high school, including a “limited series of interviews of key witnesses,” including the individuals involved and “other credible sources of information.” The goals are to substantiate or disprove the allegation and provide report of findings and recommendations to the committee.
School Committee member Sara Hathaway asked whether the investigation would duplicate processes already in place under contracts with the unions representing teachers and administrators, and whether such a probe would violate the terms of those contracts. Cameron said that’s not the case.
“The union owes a duty of fair representation to its members. They do not have the right to determine how we go about obtaining information unless we do it illegally,” Cameron said.
Asked by Mayor Peter Marchetti, an ex-officio school committee member, if the report will be made public, Cameron said yes, with the exception of details which cannot be disclosed under public records laws.
“There’s no intent here to cover anything up. But what I don’t think we’re in a position to do is to violate laws having to do with what’s exempted from the public” under public records laws, Cameron said. “So whatever we are legally able to release, we will release.”
City Council and School Committee members, Marchetti and members of the public, in expressing outrage over the allegations, are adamant that the investigation results be made public.
Hathaway also asked about the scope of the investigation and its focus on alleged misconduct at PHS.
“I thought we would be looking at problems in our system more than looking at the allegations. And frankly, the allegations are going to be addressed by the US Attorney and the state DCF,” Hathaway said. “I thought we were going to look more at things like whether our social media practices need to change, whether our background and CORI check systems have flaws, whether the mandated reporting is occurring as it needs to occur.”
Have you a clue about her? She is utterly not the one for the job. Probably cant even argue the simplest case.
I do not have a clue about her. Merely pointing out that these alleged infractions need to be handled at a higher level than local yokels.
mass AG are sleazy – think Coakley,cheaply, etc…
*Healey that is. They never showed up for Berk county corruption, or anyone else’s. They are along for the ride to the governor’s seat.
Obama’s regime was “tragic blight on American history.”
https://thefederalist.com/2024/12/31/2024s-biggest-loser-was-barack-obama/
A 275 dollar per hour cover up. Wow. That is the hourly rate for the law firm hired to do a partial investigation into the PHS shenanigans, to be led by a retired judge, Mary Lou Rup, as reported in the Eagle today. (Rups’ involvement was reported here first by a fellow blogger days ago). Public records law exemptions will be applied to report, so don’t expect to learn much. And a separate screwing with a separate set of expenses will pay for a separate firm to investigate the hiring in the school department, including whether Human Resources has enough Human Resources to do their effing job properly. Give me a effing break! Us Kapanskis are in for a double whammy.
They will reveal ‘everything legally possible’. I’m sure the lawyer will highlight all the parts they are legally allowed to hide.
Sara at least was confused. It is a good look for her. How did the kid do?
If you file a public records request they will pork you 275 per hour to block out any details, and you will pay handsomely for a nothing burger by the time they get done removing the particulars.
Get a councilor to do it.
One of the local news agencies will probably get it and make it public.
Unless of course, they are told in no uncertain terms not to.
It’s kinda like a fixer’ coming in on all these shenanigans.
The Code anyone could decipher if they had enough time.
Exposing Government Misconduct
New York Times Co. v. United States, 403 U.S. 713 (1971)
Principle: Public interest in exposing government misconduct overrides many claims of confidentiality.
Application: Often cited for the principle that transparency is essential in democratic accountability, particularly when government misconduct is alleged.
Balancing Public Interest Against Privacy
City of San Jose v. Superior Court, 2 Cal.5th 608 (2017)
Principle: Communications on personal devices/accounts related to public business are subject to disclosure.
Application: Transparency outweighs privacy when records involve public functions, reinforcing the public’s right to know.
AFSCME v. Woodward, 406 Mass. 433 (1990)
Principle: Public interest in knowing about government employees’ misconduct outweighs the individual’s privacy interest when the misconduct involves official duties.
Application: In Massachusetts, this case emphasized accountability over privacy for public employees engaged in misconduct.
Police Misconduct
Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963)
Principle: Prosecutors must disclose exculpatory evidence, including police misconduct, in criminal cases.
Application: Establishes that police misconduct records have a direct impact on justice and public interest in transparency.
Copley Press, Inc. v. Superior Court, 39 Cal.4th 1272 (2006)
Principle: Although initially favoring confidentiality, subsequent legislation in California (SB 1421) overturned this, making certain police misconduct records public.
Application: Police misconduct records involving use of force or dishonesty now have heightened public interest in many states.
Gifford v. Freedom of Information Commission, 227 Conn. 641 (1993)
Principle: Records of complaints about police misconduct are public unless they fall under narrow exemptions.
Application: Courts stress the importance of transparency in fostering trust between police and the public.
General Public Interest
Globe Newspaper Co. v. Police Comm’r of Boston, 419 Mass. 852 (1995)
Principle: Internal affairs records of police officers accused of misconduct are presumptively public.
Application: Massachusetts courts emphasized that public oversight of police departments serves the public interest.
Detroit Free Press v. Department of Justice, 829 F.3d 478 (6th Cir. 2016)
Principle: Public interest in mugshots and records of law enforcement officers outweighs privacy concerns.
Application: Reinforces the principle that transparency in law enforcement is critical to public trust.
Transparency and Accountability
Nixon v. Warner Communications, Inc., 435 U.S. 589 (1978)
Principle: Public has a right to inspect public records and documents.
Application: While recognizing privacy concerns, this case supports the principle of public access to government records when the public interest is substantial.
Associated Press v. United States Department of Defense, 554 F.3d 274 (2d Cir. 2009)
Principle: Transparency in military and government operations is vital, even when privacy concerns exist.
Application: Balances public interest in disclosure with competing concerns like safety or confidentiality.
Specific to School and Police Collaboration
North Jersey Media Group v. Township of Lyndhurst, 229 N.J. 541 (2017)
Principle: Public interest in police transparency, especially in high-profile incidents, can outweigh exemptions like “ongoing investigation.”
Application: Courts required disclosure of use-of-force reports and other records to foster public trust.
Chicago Tribune Co. v. University of Illinois Board of Trustees, 781 F. Supp. 2d 672 (N.D. Ill. 2011)
Principle: Records of public institutions, even if they include sensitive information, may be disclosed when significant public interest exists.
Application: Applies to cases involving school district transparency in collaboration with law enforcement.
The Public’s Right to Know: Courts often prioritize the public interest in understanding government actions, particularly in cases of misconduct.
Accountability of Public Officials: Misconduct by police or public officials, especially in the context of school or community safety, has high public interest value.
Balancing Test: Courts weigh privacy concerns against the public benefit of transparency.
If you’re navigating a specific exemption or agency’s denial, referencing these cases or similar precedents from your jurisdiction can strengthen your argument for disclosure.
Providing only partial discovery that omits material facts is tantamount to withholding exculpatory evidence, as it fails to present the full context necessary for a fair and impartial evaluation of the case.
The selective provision of discovery, resulting in the omission of exculpatory evidence, constitutes a violation of due process, as established under Brady v. Maryland (373 U.S. 83, 1963), which requires the disclosure of all evidence favorable to the defense.
When police officers with documented credibility issues—such as those with Internal Affairs (IA) records or inclusion on a Brady List—file 51A reports (child abuse or neglect reports) with the Department of Children and Families (DCF), their credibility becomes a critical factor in evaluating the validity of these reports. While direct case law specifically addressing this scenario is limited, several legal precedents highlight the importance of an officer’s credibility in both criminal and civil proceedings:
Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963): This landmark Supreme Court decision established that suppression by the prosecution of evidence favorable to an accused violates due process where the evidence is material to guilt or punishment. Although primarily applied in criminal cases, the principle underscores the necessity of disclosing information that could impeach a witness’s credibility.
Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150 (1972): Expanding on Brady, the Court held that nondisclosure of evidence affecting the credibility of a key government witness violates due process, emphasizing that all impeachment evidence must be disclosed.
Spencer v. Krause, 839 F.3d 1195 (9th Cir. 2017): In this case, the Ninth Circuit recognized that deliberate fabrication of evidence by a state official, including law enforcement officers, violates constitutional rights. The court noted that an officer’s history of dishonesty could be pertinent in assessing claims of evidence fabrication.
People v. Cook, 22 Cal. 3d 67 (1978): The California Supreme Court addressed the issue of police officers providing false information in affidavits, highlighting the serious implications of officer dishonesty on legal proceedings. The court emphasized the necessity for truthfulness in law enforcement to maintain the integrity of the judicial process.
While these cases primarily pertain to criminal law, the principles regarding the necessity of credible and truthful testimony from law enforcement officers are broadly applicable. In the context of 51A reports, the credibility of the reporting officer is crucial, as these reports can significantly impact child welfare decisions.
Practical Implications:
If an officer with a history of dishonesty files a 51A report, it is reasonable to question the report’s reliability. Legal counsel can argue that the officer’s documented credibility issues undermine the validity of the allegations.
Requesting Disclosure: In proceedings related to the 51A report, parties can request disclosure of the officer’s IA records or Brady List status to assess potential biases or credibility concerns.
Cross-Examination: During hearings, cross-examining the officer about their history can be instrumental in challenging the weight and reliability of their testimony.
Oh, sorry wrong blog.
Council grades. You all get an A + because you have done what the Democratic marching orders want you to do. Nothing and towed the line
Sounds like another one of those “studies” where the study group are given the result they are supposed to come up with.
The firm won’t get hired by other cities if it doesn’t produce the “correct” results. Would have been better to hire Wiggins to run the investigation since he’d at least spend the money locally.
W
That may be true, but THE PLANET is keeping an open mind pending release of the full report and the actions taken (or not) by official based on its findings.
Dan. Amused-Sois in direct conflict interest as a member of the licensing board simply she’s appointed by the mayor. Why isn’t that a big deal? It’s obvious anything that Bitchfield represents will be agreed with her as a Councilor.
Got that right!
Dan,
Happy New Year. Can’t wait for your new year predictions!
Yes please Dan predictions. They ought put the Care Ass $ell over at Hess Forest since Tyler Treet is the latest Vibrant and Dynamic venue in the city of Bitchfield. But truthfully in the Rotary on outer Tyler would be perfect. I was thinking. This Shulmann who built this Carousel left to move to Ohio. Disassemble it and throw it in the Housatonic with all the other crap and send him the bill
Shulman has lived in Ohio for decades and has done more for this city than most of its actual residents.
but I would like to see Jim contact the Las Vegas city officials and discuss it with them. they will buy it and put it to good use in one of there very many venues where it will be appreciated for all its intended purpose.
Happy New Year to our useless state reps congressman senators and all the rest..
The recent Eagle article states the 2nd investigation will look at whether there is enough personnel in HR. I bet my bottom dollar the investigation will reveal we need to hire another one or two HR people. The fix is in the solution will be spend more and it’s nobody’s fault because they are understaffed
Yes and those above the h r are unqualified and they’re the ones super vising these hireees.
The culture in the schools is do not report.They will blame mandated reporters and say there was no report made.This is the culture of the the administration.Everyone at administration knows not to tell.Im reminded of Trump saying if we would stop reporting so many COVID 19 CASES we would have less.Thats the culture.If that administration is not cleared out it will get worse.That building is a complete joke of paperwork and DATA collection.Remove them now so people feel comfortable telling everything.The building on 1st street is not transparent.The public will know if the dont tell all. Suspend them all and bring in leadership of good people and not bullshit liars.
You’re getting trumplicious again.
The Mayor needs to tell the school safety officer and Superintendent Curtisand Superintendent Behnke that they are suspended.How do they stay and have a fair investigation
lumpy will probably give them a raise
“Mass. lawmakers’ base pay to jump 11 percent in 2025” – “Governor Maura Healey orders an 11 percent increase to lawmakers’ base salary, hiking top Democrats’ pay to $224,000 in 2025”
By Matt Stout, The Boston Globe, December 31, 2024
Governor Maura Healey on Tuesday ordered an 11 percent increase in the base salaries of Massachusetts lawmakers, pushing the total annual pay for the Legislature’s top Democrats to $224,000 a year beginning Wednesday [January 01st, 2025].
Healey detailed the change in a letter she sent Treasurer Deborah Goldberg and released to the Globe on Tuesday [December 31st, 2024].
For many lawmakers, this will be the second raise they’ve notched in roughly a week. State officials last week announced that Healey and other statewide constitutional officers would get a separate 10 percent pay bump come Jan. 1, [2025], a change that, under state law, also triggers increases to the various leadership and travel stipends legislators collect in addition to their base salary.
The changes are part of a complicated biennial process, under which two separate adjustments — one guaranteed by the state constitution, the other baked into a 2017 law — tie the pay of the state’s most powerful leaders to changes in the state’s wage levels. But the separate adjustments are often based on different sets of data, meaning they regularly differ.
The change required by the constitution is determined by the governor, who every two years must decide whether the annual base salary for legislators, which was $73,655 in 2024, should be adjusted based on changes to the household median income in Massachusetts.
Healey on Tuesday said those changes amount to an 11.39 percent increase, or a $8,389 raise, bumping the annual base pay for each of the 200 House and Senate members to $82,044. Healey, who took office last year, said her office used data from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey in determining the change.
Healey used the same data source as her predecessor, Charlie Baker, did two years ago, but the resulting increase is much higher this time around. Baker, for example, ordered a 4.4 percent raise to lawmakers’ base pay starting in 2023; he previously set increases of 6.5 percent for 2021, 5.9 percent for 2019, and 4.2 percent for 2017.
The median household income in Massachusetts in 2023 was $101,000, the second-highest in the nation, according to Census Bureau data. But for many workers, their wages did not increase nearly as much as lawmakers’ base pay will, according to other data sources. In Greater Boston, for instance, wages and salaries rose just 1.6 percent in the 12-month period ending in September [2024], according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nationwide, wages and salaries rose 3.8 percent over the same period,according to the data.
Moreover, when including the other stipends legislators receive, many members of the Legislature will make far more beyond their base pay.
The extra pay that House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen E. Spilka will each receive for holding those leadership posts, for example, is set to reach $119,632, a jump of nearly $10,500. Each of the chambers’ budget chiefs will receive a $97,200 stipend, while stipends for the Democratic and Republican floor leaders will top $89,723.
The extra pay for committee chairs and other leaders is also due to increase. A majority stand to benefit: In the House alone, the number of lawmakers who earned an extra stipend for taking on leadership roles such as committee chair or majority leader nearly doubled over a decade, with about two-thirds of the chamber earning one by 2023, the Globe has reported. In some cases, the Globe found, the committees they lead hold few, if any, hearings nor do they consider any bills.
And the annual stipends legislators receive for expenses and travel — which currently range between $20,468 and $27,291, depending on how far lawmakers live from the State House — will now range from $22,431 and $29,908, according to Goldberg’s office.
For Mariano and Spilka, both of whom are expected to be reelected to their posts Wednesday, that means their compensation is slated to jump by $20,821, raising their total pay to $224,107 a year.
The Legislature on Tuesday wrapped up a two-year session in which it struggled to pass a variety of major bills before its formal session ended in the the summer. The delays prompted a flood of law-making during the fall and during lame-duck sessions the last two months, culminating this week with the passage of a pair of major health care bills just hours before legislators gaveled out for the year.
Thanks to the various pay increases due in 2025, the total pay for each of the six statewide constitutional officers and the Legislature’s leading Democrats will all top $200,000 for the first time.
Healey’s annual salary is set to rise to $243,493, while her total compensation will reach $308,493 when including an annual housing stipend the governor receives. Goldberg will receive the biggest one-time bump, a $22,900 increase, that will push her salaryto $261,694 annually, the highest of any of Massachusetts’ statewide elected officials and among the highest in the country for her position.
It’s up to each individual legislator and elected official whether to accept the raise, and some have declined it in the past. Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, both Republicans, said they would not take increases in both 2019 and 2021, and Goldberg and Secretary of State William Galvin initially rejected raises in 2021, too, before accepting them later.
Galvin did not take a 20 percent raise the state’s top elected officials received at the beginning of 2023, and instead took an 8 percent increase in 2024. That raised his annual salary from $187,433 — which was the lowest among the six of the state’s constitutional officers — to $202,427.
A spokesperson for the eight-term Democrat said last week that Galvin hadn’t given “any thought yet” to taking the latest 10 percent increase. Spokespeople for Healey, Goldberg, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, and Auditor Diana DiZoglio all said they will accept their raises.
Matt Stout can be reached at matt.stout@globe.com. Follow him @mattpstout.
The increase is why they are charged with raising taxes.
Wiggins prolly a ballet/actor from Shakespeare and Pillow. Getting paid to be the headline. Is he itching to explore his roots, you people are ridiculous. Try again
Happy New Year to all!! Dan I hope you and your family have a wonderful new year!! I do like the idea of a predicting the future. My guesses are the citizens/taxpayers will be crewed by the Pittsfield power to be’s and that nothing is said of the investigations being conducted(?). The Kapanski’s will be ignored and screwed over in other words just another year in B*tchfield!
I agree. Pittsfield politics predictably pounds people’s purses & purges public participation. Kapanski Ka$h will flow into Kufflink’s secretive $lu$h Fund$. School Committee Chairman Dr. Bill Cameron’s so-called investigation into the PHS Dean of Students’ alleged cocaine trafficking, the public district staff members allegedly having sex with minor students, and the sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former PHS young woman student against a now retired man English Teacher may not be what it should be, meaning that it may serve to limit the city & public school district’s legal liabilities instead of providing partial or full legal discovery of the truth behind the aforementioned allegations that Mayor Peter Marchetti and others in Pittsfield politics claim to have known nothing about until the shit hit the fan – how convenient for limiting legal liabilities! 2025 will be yet another year in “Bitchfield”, Massachusetts.
Thank you, SHIRL.
[Static]::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Preciction of ice age activity are growing severe. Residents are advised to keep extra fuel on hand. Be vigilant for large masses of ice and snow. They are unstable. Two youths from Tyler Street are reported to have fallen into a 60 meter crevass when shifting plates caught them. The areas around Pontoosuc are now officially forbid for traffic. Looters reported:::::::::national guard:::::instruction to shoot on sight:::::::::::
THE POS that shot and murdered in NO, was let in by FJB/Mayoras, two days ago.
You guys do know the teachers Unions control all politics in Massachusetts.
Sure was Trap. His name is Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar and was flying some Islamic States groups flag from the rear of his truck.
He was Born and raised in Texas, also a us army vet. Nice try though.
Texas Schmexas. He’s also a radicalized convert to Islamic terrorism.
2024: 34 political cartoons about U.S. politics last year.
https://www.dispatch.com/story/opinion/cartoons/2025/01/01/2024-in-review-cartoons-taylor-swift-donald-trump-joe-biden-kamala-harris-jd-vance-cats-dogs/77358581007/
Hey man instead of posting about cartoons and making yourself look
like a loon head over to Berkshire Roots and pick up a few primo prerolls and not later but soon.
Spark up that goodness with your boyfriend and let go the sadness and gloom because soon you’ll both be flying so high you can touch the moon.
Just remember. Your next National Collegiate Football Champs will be ………………..Thee Ohio StateUniversity…….
Just wondering why the city jumped right into a contract with a lawyer. Shouldn’t they have taken their time and vetted all the companies that were willing to do a “deep dive” into the broken PPS system? Is this Rup person on Cameron’s speed dial and if so why? Speaking of why, why is the Mercer building still there with “workers” inside, shouldn’t they be all put on administrative leave while the investigation commences? Where is the state in all of this? Why aren’t they coming in and doing an investigation? What is the role of the DOE? Questions about the way the School Committee is handling this are percolating. Did the 5 meet illegally to get the ball rolling? Were they asked to do it so that the Pittsfield powers to be can sweep it under the rug and stay in their coveted places? The questions just keep on coming with no answers,,,,so much for Transparency!!
Mary lou Rup, who covered up Umass campus police sexual assaults ( as a judge via injunction? Is doing investigation?
Sabrina Garcia Vega, who tried to silence, pittsfield District courts Nilan Scandals , myst be busy.
The Cloak of secrecy is only just beginning.
Odds Josh Levy, transfers this matter to Massachusetts supreme judicial court- to delay until outrage calms, then sends Wiggins and co to another school District?
1/2/25@ 07:30
To briefly switch topics from the PEDOFIELD PUBIC SCOHOLS and their lesson plans on narcotics transactions and pedophilia, I want to express sadness and anger for all of those poor NYE victims in New Orleans, who were killed by an ISIS terrorist.
January 20th cannot come fast enough. Weak and treasonous democRATs have caused this with their open border policies.
Never forget when terrorists on the global terrorist watch lists were walking across our open borders and placing Americans in danger, China Joe Xiden and the rest of the democRATS, told Americans that “white supremacy, not ISIS or Al-Qaeda, is America’s greatest threat.”
They even had FBI Agents and other federal agents play dress up and walk around cities throughout the year with Nazi-flags, WITH THEIR FACES COVERED UP BY MASKS (a dead giveaway it’s not MAGA) hoping to provoke a response.
Nick Sortor on X: ” PRESIDENT BIDEN FLASHBACK: “Terrorısm from white supremacy is the most lethal threat to the homeland today—not ISIS, not Al-Qaeda, white supremacists.” An ISIS terrorıst just carried out one of the LARGEST TERR0R ATTACKS in the U.S. since 9/11. THIS IS ON YOU, @POTUS. https://t.co/w7POe3XOMH” / X
The education system isn’t designed to improve the students intellectually but to average out
a common level of near illiteracy. This will provide a populace dependent on media & government to explain issues to them. As in Biden is sharp as a tack.