By MARY SERREZE NORTHAMPTON — It’s official. Mayor David Narkewicz now has his city solicitor of choice on tap, following a brief swearing-in ceremony at City Hall Friday morning. “I feel great,” said lawyer Alan Seewald immediately after City Clerk Wendy Mazza administered the oath of office to him. “I’m honored to be able to [...]

A Hampshire Superior Court judge declined a request from BID plaintiff Alan Scheinman to keep Seewald on as counsel of record, a move that would have blocked his accepting a job as the city’s top lawyer. By MARY SERREZE NORTHAMPTON — Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup has granted Attorney Alan Seewald’s motion to withdraw as [...]

By MARY SERREZE NORTHAMPTON — A Hampshire County Grand Jury returned indictments today in the case of Nancy Renee Gehrung, 48, of 56 Matthew Drive, in connection with an armed burglary on on Christmas evening. Gehrung broke into 73 Massasoit Street and pointed a loaded firearm at the residents when they returned home, said Assistant [...]

Before the package (measuring 20 inches by 14 inches by 10 inches) was delivered to Smith, Trooper Andrews sought a search warrant from a Northampton District Court Clerk-Magistrate. In that search warrant application, Andrews made his case, documenting that Smith did indeed live at that address, and describing how the package of pot was found. [...]

By MARY SERREZE BOSTON – Christopher Hoffman, 39, former acting Chief Probation Officer of the Hampshire Superior Court, was charged today in federal court with intimidating and harassing a witness in an alleged attempt to obstruct a federal investigation into hiring practices in the office of former Commissioner of Probation John O’Brien. Hoffman, a Hatfield [...]

By MARY SERREZE NORTHAMPTON — Hampshire Superior Court Justice Cornelius J. Moriarty ruled on Thursday that city economic development director Teri Anderson is not exempt from public records law when it comes to her communication with the Three County Fairgrounds Redevelopment Corporation. Anderson was until recently a voting member of the corporation’s board of directors. [...]

Through a spokesman, the Secretary of the Commonwealth says he will ensure continuity in the office. Was he tipping his hand? NORTHAMPTON – A spokesman for Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin told Northampton Tuesday that the secretary knows about the pending retirement of Register of Deeds Marianne Donohue and, by month’s end, will move [...]

Despite the barbs, jokes and wild stories, the crowd of lawyers, court personnel and political heavy-hitters displayed affection for Donohue, who had worked with or for many of them. Who will replace her until the 2012 election is anybody’s guess. NORTHAMPTON – About 150 people, many of them the city’s power elite – lawyers, judges, [...]

A single justice of the state’s highest court decided there were enough important questions about the State Police interrogation of Anthony Baye for the Supreme Judicial Court to take a closer look. NORTHAMPTON – The Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) will hear arguments in the Anthony Baye arson-murder case during its November session, when it will [...]

NORTHAMPTON – Nine people have been confirmed to serve on a committee to update and modernize the 118-year-old city charter. The City Council, whose members helped pick the candidates, approved the committee and its members in a unanimous vote last night. The creation is a Special Act Charter Drafting Committee, which will soon start its [...]

The defense team claims the local judge erred in not suppressing Baye’s confession, obtained during a questionable State Police interrogation. The prosecutor maintains detectives did not break the rules on Miranda warnings. NORTHAMPTON – Defense lawyers in the murder-and-arson case of Anthony Baye have appealed a judge’s ruling that, if it stands, will allow jurors [...]

In her reading of state statutes and the City Charter, City Solicitor Elaine Reall concludes that Acting Mayor Dave Narkiewicz will have full mayoral powers when he assumes the position on Sept. 9. NORTHAMPTON – In an opinion issued last week to outgoing Mayor Mary Clare Higgins, City Solicitor Elaine Reall spelled out the powers and [...]

After a snub from the Governor’s Council, Bill Rosen says it’s time to “move on,” perhaps withdrawing his name from consideration, and maybe not even running for the post in 2012. NORTHAMPTON – For William “Bill” Rosen, the longtime political consultant and corporate lobbyist nominated by the governor to be interim register of probate here, [...]

By DAVID REID NORTHAMPTON – The judge in the upcoming murder-arson trial of former cook Anthony Baye has ruled that jurors can see evidence gathered by police and tapes of a ten-hour interrogation of Baye by State Police detectives, in which he confessed to setting some fires. Baye faces 45 criminal charges, including murder and [...]

Judge denies motion to suppress statements made by arson and murder suspect Anthony Baye during lengthy State Police questioning.   NORTHAMPTON — The following press release, printed here in its entirety, was issued today by Mary Carey, spokeswoman for the office of David E. Sullivan, Northwestern District Attorney, regarding the case of accused arsonist Anthony Baye. A [...]