Report of Independent Counsel, In the Matter of the Probation Department of the Trial Court

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COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTSSUFFOLK, ss: SUPREME JUDICIAL COURTIN THE MATTER OF THEPROBATION DEPARTMENTOF THE TRIAL COURTSJC No. 0E-123

REPORT OFTHE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL

November 9, 2010

!"#!$!"#!$!"#!$!"#!$%&#'()'!%&#'()'!%&#'()'!%&#'()'!****#!!!#!!!#!!!#!!!+ + + +

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYI.Introduction

........................................................................................................................1

II.Conclusions

.........................................................................................................................2A.Discipline of Employees........................................................................... 41B.Corrective Action...................................................................................... 44C.Policy Changes.......................................................................................... 45D.Referrals to Prosecutorial Authorities....................................................... 47

BACKGROUND OF THE INVESTIGATIONI.The

Boston Globe

Spotlight Story

...................................................................................49

II.The Order Establishing this Investigation

.....................................................................50

III.The Course of the Investigation

......................................................................................52A.Overview................................................................................................... 52B.Informal Interviews................................................................................... 53C.Sworn Testimony...................................................................................... 53D.Documents Collected................................................................................ 55

BACKGROUND OF THE MASSACHUSETTS PROBATION DEPARTMENTI.History of the Department

..............................................................................................57

II.Composition and Responsibilities of the Department

..................................................57

III.Leadership of the Department

........................................................................................59A.Commissioner John O’Brien..................................................................... 59B.The Probation Department Hierarchy....................................................... 61

IV.The Probation Department Budget

................................................................................63

V.Relationship between the Department and the Courts

................................................64

FINDINGS – HIRING AND PROMOTIONSI.Hiring and Promotion Authority in the Probation Department

.................................65A.Pre-2001.................................................................................................... 65B.Post-2001.................................................................................................. 66

II.Overview of the Hiring and Promotion Process Since 2001

........................................67A.Hiring Procedures Prior to 2001............................................................... 68B.The Hiring and Promotion Process Required by the AdministrativeOffice of the Trial Court After 2001......................................................... 70C.Probation Officers..................................................................................... 72D.Associate Probation Officers .................................................................... 76E.Assistant Chief Probation Officers ........................................................... 78F.Chief Probation Officers........................................................................... 80G.Community Corrections Centers............................................................... 821.Probation Officers in Charge........................................................ 822.Community Corrections Positions................................................ 84

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H.Hiring within Electronic Monitoring........................................................86I.Other Hiring..............................................................................................87J.Hiring Freezes and Acting Positions.........................................................88

III.Manipulation of the Interview Process

..........................................................................89A.Introduction...............................................................................................89B.O’Brien’s Identification of Preferred Candidates.....................................91C.O’Brien Was Communicating Instructions, Not“Recommendations”.................................................................................97D.The Screening Panels..............................................................................100E.The Local Interview Panels....................................................................1081.Introduction.................................................................................1082.Interference Prior to 2001...........................................................1093.Testimony of Ellen Slaney..........................................................1114.Testimony of Edward Dalton......................................................1205.Testimony of Francis Campbell..................................................1266.Testimony of Richard O’Neil.....................................................1297.Testimony of Mark McHale........................................................1318.Testimony of Jeffrey Akers........................................................1339.Testimony of Brian Murphy.......................................................13510.Testimony of Dianne Fasano......................................................13811.Testimony of Edward Rideout....................................................13812.Testimony of Francine Ryan.......................................................13913.Testimony of Nicholas DeAngelis..............................................14114.Testimony of William Burke......................................................14515.Testimony of Stephen Bocko......................................................146F.Associate Probation Officer Hiring........................................................147G.Final Interview Panels (Other Than Chief Probation Officers)..............151H.Final Interview Panels (Chief Probation Officers).................................155I.Community Corrections Centers.............................................................1561.Probation Officers In Charge......................................................1562.Community Corrections Positions..............................................158J.Hiring Within ELMO..............................................................................160K.Other Hiring............................................................................................162

IV.Identification of Candidates Sponsored by Politicians

...............................................165A.The Collection of Names from Politicians, Judges, and Others.............166B.Sponsor Lists...........................................................................................170C.The Decision of which Candidates to Prefer..........................................173D.Reasons For Accommodating Legislators..............................................177E.Success of Sponsored Candidates...........................................................181F.Assurances Given to Politicians Concerning Candidates.......................183G.Hiring of Robert Ryan as a Chief Probation Officer..............................186

V.Allegations of “Pay for Play”

........................................................................................190A.Statistical Evidence of Pay for Play........................................................190B.Anecdotal Evidence of Pay for Play.......................................................194C.Allegations of Pay for Play in the

Globe

Spotlight Story.......................199