Great news from that Litigation Committee, as we continue to advance a number of matters against law enforcement entities and large corporate entities.

Thanks to stellar efforts from lead counsel David Kelston and Jeff Petrucelly, we received a decision from Judge Cowin granting a significant amount of attorneys’ fees and costs after hearing on our Motion for Attorney Fees in the Suffolk Superior Court. After almost three years of obstruction and obfuscation by Boston Police in acquiring records regarding BPD’s response, or lack thereof, during the “Straight Pride” threat march three years ago, we have finally held the Boston Police Department accountable for their failure to abide by the statutory requirements of the public records law.

Our lawsuit regarding the Boston Police Department and BRIC’s discriminatory inactivity and subsequent failure to provide records during the Patriot Front “march” through Boston streets resulting in harassment and injury to counterprotestors has been answered, and we are advancing toward discovery, having submitted a request for admissions upon BPD, and potentially dispositive actions . We have also served M.G.L. c.66 record requests to BPD/BRIC to address their disparate treatment of pro-Palestinian protesters versus those who are pro-Israeli supporters, and await their statutory required response eagerly.

Chris DiOrio and Jeff Feuer will be taking further steps towards litigating against judges and court personnel in the Worcester District and Housing courts issuing unconstitutional orders on behalf of predatory lenders attempting to evict families against Grace Ross at MAAPL/WAFT. Judges have specifically prohibited her and her volunteers from being present at eviction actions in support of the potential evictees, violating their 1st Amendment and Article 16 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights. Jeff Feuer and Chris DiOrio will be working with Grace to draft complaints regarding these heinous abuses of prior restraint against protesters exercising basic human rights.

Lavinia Kosher has also recently circulated a series of outreach communications to our Jailhouse Lawyers in an effort to monitor and confirm compliance by detention facilities and prisons with our hard fought wins on behalf of prisoners in the areas of Hep C and other medical treatment, access to care, and follow-up care. Thank you to the attorneys and volunteers that assisted Lavinia in getting these surveys out to prisons.