Cirignano Supporters Play Dirty Pool in Attempt to Take Heat Off Hot Head

As reported on pieandcoffee.org and massmarrier.blogspot.com, Shari Worthington of Massachusetts Family Institute has now filed a criminal complaint against Sarah Loy, the victim of the December 16th Hate Crime Larry Cirignano is charged with. In a move right out Karl Rove's playbook Ms. Worthington has brushed off the timeliness of this filing by saying "As far as the timing of the filing, some of us have lives outside of blogging and politics!!" I'll add my voice to the chorus that already exists that are saying, "Are you serious?!" This incident happened last December, and you waited until three weeks before the trial to file your complaint? Let's call a spade a spade, this seems like nothing more than the intimidation of a witness. On Shari's website worcestercountyrepublicanclub.com Shari states:

"A hearing has been set for Oct. 29, 2007, 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!"

In my opinion, this comment proves the intent to intimidate by the nature of the speculation. She seems like she is trying to scare the witness into not testifying, but I think she underestimates Mrs. Loy's resolve. Mrs. Loy is a straight supporter of equality, and it is reported that she is a board member of the Worcester chapter of the ACLU. This is hardly the type of person that is going to bow down to these type of tactics. This is not the first time Massachusetts Family Institute has been under fire for using intimidation to "grease the wheels" so to speak. Right around the same time the incident in question happened MFI was circulating Wanted: Dead or Alive style posters of the legislators that voted against the now defunct constitutional amendment attempt to strip GLBT citizens of the right to marry whom they choose. I find both these intimidation tactics highly hypocritcal considering what dispersions MFI cast against KnowThyNeighbor.org.

Ms. Worthington claims Mrs. Loy violated statute Chapter 272: Section 40 of Massachusetts Law which states:

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.

Some people may recall that I was actually there at this event and saw where Sarah Loy was, and what she was doing. As far as I recall she was in the thick of the Vote on Marriage supporters silently hold her sign, which is hardly the spin Ms. Worthington's complaint makes. There was no interruption of the assembly, which is what would be required for the law to be broken.

What is somewhat amusing to me in this sad attempt to demonize the victim of a Hate Crime, is a misstatement Cirignano's defense lawyer makes in his own brief. He incorrectly calls the "Take A Stand For Democracy" rally a "Let the People Vote" rally. I think it is kind of ironic that in a rally that claims to be about democracy, freedom of speech would be such an issue for them.

I suppose Cirignano has forgone the idea of throwing himself at the mercy of the court. He seems to want to go down swinging and take anybody he can with him. People may recall last December 16th when Larry Cirignano, former head of the Catholic Citizen's Group left the podium after speaking and in his words "escorted" Mrs. Loy, who wound up hitting her head on a concrete sidewalk. Mr. Cirignano has maintained his innocence in spite of multiple credible eyewitnesses, as well as photographic and video evidence that is against him.