The Monday appeals court decision tossed out the convictions of former Probation commissioner John J. OBrien and his top deputies, Elizabeth Tavares and William Burke III. The three defendants were found guilty in 2014 of running their department like a criminal enterprise by setting up a rigged hi
Date: Dec 21, 2016
Category: U.S.
Source: Google
Probation hiring scandal convictions tossed on appeal
Former probation commissioner John OBrien and former deputy commissioners Elizabeth Tavares and William Burke were convicted in 2014 for their roles in a patronage scheme in which they abused the hiring process in exchange for favorable budget treatment from the state legislature and increased c
Date: Dec 20, 2016
Category: U.S.
Source: Google
Appeals Court Throws Out Convictions In Probation Department Corruption Case
John O'Brien, the department's former commissioner, was convicted in 2014 on racketeering and mail fraud charges and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Two of his former deputies, Elizabeth Tavares and William Burke, were also convicted. Tavares was sentenced to three months in prison; Burke received
Date: Dec 19, 2016
Category: U.S.
Source: Google
Appeals Court Deals Rebuke To Controversial Prosecutor Who Targeted Aaron Swartz
1st Circuit Judge Juan Torruella wrote in an opinion for the majority that the hiring scheme of the probation officials John OBrien, Elizabeth Tavares and William Burke failed to meet the legal standard for racketeering conspiracy or mail fraud.
commissioner Elizabeth Tavares, in a sobbing plea for leniency on her conviction for racketeering and mail fraud, publicly acknowledged for the first time that a rigged hiring system existed at the agency.
OBrien, former first deputy commissioner Elizabeth Tavares and former deputy commissioner William Burke are accused of trying to curry favorwith Bay State legislators and creating a rigged hiring system that caters to requests from state legislators and others to hoard power and gain tighter co