Public defenders in Boston have ceased taking new clients due to a prolonged pay dispute, leading to the dismissal of over 120 cases in a single day. This included serious charges such as assault on family members and police officers, with the court invoking the Lavallee protocol that dismisses cases without an attorney after 45 days. Prosecutors expressed concerns over public safety risks due to these dismissals, which affect various charges including domestic violence incidents and minor crimes.
More than 120 cases, including some for assault on family members and police, were dismissed Tuesday in Boston, the latest fallout from a monthslong dispute over pay that has led public defenders to stop taking new clients.
At a mostly empty courtroom, Boston Municipal Court Chief Justice Tracy-Lee Lyons invoked the Lavallee protocol in dismissing case after case, requiring dismissal if a defendant hasn't had an attorney for 45 days.
The judge, repeatedly invoking the Lavallee protocol, dismissed almost all of the cases after being convinced public defenders had made a good-faith effort to find the defendants an attorney.
Prosecutors unsuccessfully objected to the dismissal of many of the cases, especially the most serious being dismissed, which present a clear and continuing threat to public safety.
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