Judge Raymond G. Dougan won a major legal victory in November, successfully fending off a 61-page complaint from the Suffolk district attorney that his decisions were systematically biased in favor of criminal defendants.
Now, it turns out that a prominent law firm whose lawyers often appear in Boston courts paid for Dougan’s defense, giving him at least $85,000 worth of free services – and perhaps much more – from one of the most prestigious legal teams in the city.
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It's just more of the same for those in the judiciary in Massachusetts. The Suffolk County attorney should be applauded for trying to do something about this culture of corruption. Rarely do you see public officials in this state do anything courageous. Let's see how our hands on Governor responds to this. And he wants to run for President or be nominated to the Supreme Court? God help the country.First the Chicago way, next the Massachusetts way.
This Governor, as in Deval Patrick!!!!! Surely, you jest?
This article misses a major point: the unethical behavior of Foley Hoag in offering and providing free legal services to a sitting judge before whom its firm appears. Will the Board of Bar Overseers please investigate this firm's noble actions?
Just like the excellent Globe series on the judges who have a habit of letting drunk driver slide, nothing will be done in this case. This type of investigative/expose type of journalism is what can bring about change.
But, when we have a congress, state legislature and evidently a judiciary, who no longer feels they must answer to the people, what can be done?
Are there still good people in government who will step forward and do something about these abuse of power cases within our courts?
Absolutely Incredible and audacious. or maybe just normal operating procedure in this State.
Years of voter support for Democrats has built an animal-farm infrastructure of audacity.
would have happened under GOP as well....any one-party state has this problem.
Congratulations to the Globe for illuminating this, and many other, ludicrous (if not blatently corrupt) activities of the public sector in Massachusetts. As long as politicians and other government employees can remain confident their misdeeds will not be publicized they'll merely increase in number, size and audacity. Dougan's complete disregard for ethical boundaries here is proof he is unfit to ajudicate anything. Most governments are loath to hold any public workers or agencies accountable. Without a press willing to dig into the opaque world of government operations taxpayers have no idea what they are getting for their money. Thanks to Globe for this and other recent pieces that illuminate these public corners where the inevitable cockroaches hide and feed all too often fearlessly.
This whole rancid, corrupt sausage factory process illustrated in this article clearly drives home DA Conley's initial point. That's the biggest irony of this lunatic farce.... "There is a clear rule but, it doesn't apply to us." Is that the best you've got for $700 an hour? Small wonder they're providing cut rate insurance for "special customers" or should I say "the insider's deal"
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What if Judge Dougan paid for his legal services provided by Foley, Hoag? Would he have to recuse himself whenever a Foley, Hoag attorney appeared before him in a court case? Who would he or any judge turn to for high-profile legal services? Somone in Vermont or Illinois licensed to practice law in Mass.? if the allegations were not high-profile in nature, would this be a news story?
He should be removed from the bench and the Law firm Investigated. The whole matter smells like rotten fish...
Remember when just the appearance of inpropriety was the standard?