BOSTON—The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts on Monday has not yet crushed Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno’s belief in his sweeping power over the city during oral arguments for his appeal of a lower court’s greenlight of the Police Commission’s revival.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has received the briefs in Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno’s appeal of a decision that found he must appoint a Police Commission. On April 16, Hampden Superior Court Judge Francis Flannery found that the Springfield City Council was within its rights to revive the former police panel.
The highest court in the land—of Massachusetts at least—will hear and likely resolve one of the most vexing controversies in the City of Homes. On Wednesday, the Supreme Judicial Court accepted direct review of Hampden Superior Court Judge Francis Flannery’s ruling that Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno must appoint the Police Commission.
UPDATED 4/17/20 4:30PM: On Friday, the SJC accepted the Secretary’s recommendation, slashing the needed signatures by half, extending the deadline for state candidates by one week to May 5 and allowing electronic signatures, albeit a little more broadly than the the Secretary recommended. The Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, there exist more than a few arcane and esoteric offices. The Governor’s Council, a throwback to colonial days which confirms judges, labor relations commissioner and other posts appointed by the governor and approves pardons and notaries, is one such body. Its 8th district
SPRINGFIELD—Under ticket races in Western Massachusetts have not been entirely ignored this cycle. Yet given the contentious Hampden Sheriff primary and the national war for the White House, others have flown under the radar. Nevertheless, the race for the 8th District Governor’s Council race has had heat and, in
Five years ago, cheers broke out in the Springfield City Council chamber after councilors unanimously approved the city’s foreclosure ordinance. Ravaged by the foreclosure crisis and subsequent recession, Springfield had taken a notably bold step toward curbing the deterioration of neighborhoods littered with vacant, bank-owned