Ethan Jacobs
ejacobs@baywindows.com
Larry Cirignano attorney asked Worcester District Court Judge David Ricciardone during a June 28 pre-trial hearting to drop the civil rights charge against him for an alleged assault against a pro-gay demonstrator last December. The former Catholic Citizenship executive director faces both the civil rights charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge for allegedly shoving Sarah Loy, who was taking part in a demonstration in favor of civil marriage rights near Worcester City Hall. The pro-gay demonstration was planned to counter a demonstration by the group VoteOnMarriage.org held at city hall that day, and Cirignano was one of the speakers at the VoteOnMarriage rally who urged the passage of a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Cirignano allegedly assaulted Loy after she crossed over into the VoteOnMarriage crowd.
Tim Connolly, spokesperson for Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early, Jr., told Bay Windows that Ricciardone took the defense motion “under advisement” and will issue his decision on it July 13.
If going into a crowd and physically attacking a member of an opposing point of view is not a civil rights violation, what the Hell is?! Worcester District Court Judge David Ricciardone needs to hear from us loudly and clearly that the civil rights violation is valid, and should stand. People need to take ownership of their actions rather than try to lie their way out of the problem they created for themselves.
Mass Marrier has also covered this story.
4 comments:
I predict that the judge will drop the civil right charges.
You're probably right John, but we have to at least try to stand up for ourselves. Even if we lose our quest for justice, we can at least walk away knowing we did the right thing. My conscience will be clean.
As we get some years of equality under our belts, perhaps people like Cirignano will stop and think twice before committing another like act.
Did you notice the Diane Steele supporters are saying the same things about her rage as they did Cirignano's? It's all a set up, and somehow we know just the right buttons to push, and just the right people to talk to. Breaking the law is not their responsibility.
I can just imagine Cirignano saying to his friends, "The bitch had it coming."
Bear in mind I only think the civil rights charges will be dropped. I can't see how to make such a charge by a non state actor stick.
However, the assault and battery charges will be tried on their merits.
Check out Mass Marrier's blog. He has a post that says how Cirignano is saying something to the effect of, "so what if I pushed her?"
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