Here’s a PDF of a criminal complaint filed against Sarah Loy, the woman the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported was shoved to the ground by a guy named Larry Cirignano last December. Cirignano is on trial for the assault in Worcester October 16.
The criminal complaint, filed by Shari Worthington of the Worcester Republican Blog, is for “disturbing a lawful assembly.”
Why would someone file a complaint so long after the incident? As the stunningly-ineffective anti-gay-marriage group Mass Resistance writes, “A hearing has been set for Oct. 29 regarding the complaint against Loy. At that hearing, a magistrate will decide whether to press formal charges. . . . But this causes a big problem for Loy. If she testifies against Larry on Oct. 16, she risks incriminating herself in a trial against her!”
Which raises a key question: Is it worse to be a sleazy lawyer, or a sleazy lawyer’s stooge?
The relevant statute:
Chapter 272 Section 40. Whoever wilfully interrupts or disturbs a school or other assembly of people met for a lawful purpose shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one month or by a fine of not more than fifty dollars; provided, however, that whoever, within one year after being twice convicted of a violation of this section, again violates the provisions of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for one month, and the sentence imposing such imprisonment shall not be suspended.
Fifty bucks, and probably no chance of prison? I wouldn’t let this intimidate me one bit. (Easy for me to say, of course.)
Hardly a scam. The law is the law. We had a right to a peaceful assembly and there is a clear law on the books that keeps protestors off to the side. Loy should have known better.
As far as the timing of the filing, some of us have lives outside of blogging and politics!!
This appears to be intimidating a witness which sounds like a more serious charge and we have the evidence of MassResistance and the Republican blog as proof of the intent of the lawsuit.
Mike, I’m glad you put this out there. How dispicable.
“As far as the timing of the filing, some of us have lives outside of blogging and politics!!”
Cut the BS Shari, you spent much time on this issue arguing in defense of Cirignano on your blog ever since this happened, and you choose the time right before his trial to file? Do you really think people are that dumb? Apparently you do.