Thursday, May 28, 2015

Masher Martinez

You be the judge:

"Court officer arraigned for alleged sexual assault on defendant" by Aneri Pattani Globe Correspondent  May 21, 2015

A Lawrence court officer was ordered held on $50,000 bail at his arraignment Thursday for allegedly sexually assaulting a defendant at the courthouse, officials said.

Jose Martinez, 46, pleaded not guilty in Essex Superior Court in Salem to four counts of rape, six counts of indecent assault and battery, and single counts of assault with intent to rape and misleading investigators, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said in a statement.

Judge John Lu imposed bail and ordered Martinez to wear a GPS monitor and remain under home confinement if he is released.

Martinez allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in a holding cell, a prisoner elevator, and a stairwell in Lawrence District Court on three occasions in 2009 and 2014 while the woman was in custody on drug and fugitive from justice charges, prosecutors said. She told staff at a jail where she was later held about the 2014 assaults, which prompted an investigation by State Police that revealed the other alleged attacks.

During that investigation, Martinez allegedly attempted to mislead State Police by trying to have a co-worker destroy a cellphone that Martinez had hidden inside the Lawrence courthouse, before it could be seized by investigators, prosecutors said.

Suffolk prosecutors are handling the case because the Essex district attorney’s office referred it to them in light of Martinez’s 15-year employment in Lawrence District Court, prosecutors said. He is to return to court on June 19.

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