The lawyer for an ex-State Police detective and his spouse is demanding the DA “do his job” after his shopper was attacked after a sentencing that saved the couple out of jail.
James and Leslie Coughlin pleaded responsible Monday in Dedham District Court to furnishing alcohol to a minor and admitted to “sufficient facts” for reckless endangerment of a kid. Their one-year jail sentence was suspended for 3 years.
Basically, they won’t serve time behind bars in the event that they face no additional costs.
The case was over the drowning demise of 17-year-old Alonzo Polk at a highschool commencement half on the couple’s Dedham dwelling in June of 2021. But that’s not the top to this story.
James Coughlin, a former MSP captain, was “punched in the head and knocked to the ground” outdoors the courtroom Monday, in accordance with his lawyer Brian Kelly. Police confirmed the assault and stated the case is open and below investigation.
“You can’t assault people outside the court,” stated Kelly, a high lawyer and former prosecutor. “It’s now up to the DA to do his job. … It’s outrageous. It was a vicious assault for no reason at all.”
The lawyer for the teenager’s household didn’t return a name from the Herald.
As the Herald has reported, Polk died after different children started to leap within the household pool. Alonzo was additionally discovered within the pool “submerged under water” by pals who didn’t see him climb out.
James Coughlin, Dedham police and EMTs carried out CPR on him, however he died just a few days later.
The lighting within the pool and the celebration itself have been all questioned by the courtroom and members of the family of the deceased.
Kelly, who witnessed the assault, stated he noticed a minimum of three folks pounce on James Coughlin in the midst of the road whereas his spouse was “pulled into a nearby car.” He additionally stated Polk was not consuming the night time he died on the celebration.
The Norfolk DA’s workplace stated in a press release that prosecutor Sean Riley requested Dedham District Court Judge Paul McCallum to impose a responsible discovering on every rely and sentence the Coughlins to two-and-a-half years within the Norfolk County House of Corrections, with one yr to serve and the steadiness suspended throughout three years of probation – with 200 hours of neighborhood service throughout that probation.
The decide, nevertheless, entered a responsible discovering on the furnishing alcohol cost and ordered a one-year sentence, which he suspended for 3 years. He continued with out a discovering the reckless endangerment cost for 3 years. He imposed 50 hours of neighborhood service on every cost, for a complete of 100 hours.
Dedham police are asking any witnesses of yesterday’s assault to name the station.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”