NOTICE: Summary decisions issued by the Appeals Court pursuant to M.A.C. Rule 23.0, as appearing in 97 Mass. App. Ct. 1017 (2020) (formerly known as rule 1:28, as amended by 73 Mass. App. Ct. 1001 [2009]), are primarily directed to the parties and, therefore, may not fully address the facts of the case or the panel's decisional rationale. Moreover, such decisions are not circulated to the entire court and, therefore, represent only the views of the panel that decided the case. A summary decision pursuant to rule 23.0 or rule 1:28 issued after February 25, 2008, may be cited for its persuasive value but, because of the limitations noted above, not as binding precedent. See Chace v. Curran, 71 Mass. App. Ct. 258, 260 n.4 (2008).
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
APPEALS COURT
23-P-423
COMMONWEALTH
vs.
HEATHER A. GROTHE.
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER PURSUANT TO RULE 23.0
The Commonwealth appeals from an order of a District Court
judge dismissing, with prejudice, a criminal complaint charging
the defendant with assault and battery on a child causing injury
and permitting injury to a child, both in violation of G. L.
c. 265, § 13J (b). The complaint, which issued on April 28,
2021, arose from an accusation by the father of the child that
the defendant and her boyfriend abused the child by hitting him
and burning him with a lit cigarette.1
1A physician assistant also told police that the child stated that the defendant inserted a strand of her hair into his penis. Trial was scheduled for January 19, 2022, but, on that
date, the matter was continued until March 21.2 The Commonwealth
answered not ready for trial on March 21, however, and, at its
request and over the defendant's "strong objection," the matter
was continued to April 11. The docket was marked "NFC," meaning
that no further continuances would be allowed. On April 11, the
Commonwealth stated that it would be ready for trial, as the
child's father had gone to pick up the six year old from school.
The Commonwealth later admitted, however, that it could not
proceed because, after speaking with the child, it determined
that he was not capable of testifying as a witness at that
time.3, 4 The Commonwealth requested a further continuance to
investigate alternative ways to go forward with the case, such
as proceeding without the child as a witness. After some
discussion on the matter, the defendant moved for dismissal with
prejudice, and the judge allowed the motion. The Commonwealth
now appeals, arguing that the judge exceeded his authority in
2 The docket is unclear as to why the trial was continued on January 19. The Commonwealth suggests that the continuance was requested by the defendant, while the defendant proposes that the delay was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cause of the continuance does not bear on our decision.
3 The Commonwealth stated that "[the child's] attention was elsewhere" and that "he was also very concerned [about] the location" of the defendant.
4 The Commonwealth had only spoken to the child for the first time that day.
2 dismissing the charges with prejudice because there was no
showing of "irremediable harm." We agree and reverse so much of
the order as specified that the dismissal was with prejudice and
remand the matter to the District Court for entry of a
disposition consistent with this memorandum and order.
Discussion. "Generally, 'where a prosecutor is unprepared
to present her case due to the unexpected absence of a witness,
a judge has discretion to dismiss the case without prejudice.'"
Commonwealth v. Graham, 480 Mass. 516, 536 (2018), quoting
Commonwealth v. Lucero, 450 Mass. 1032, 1033 (2008). However,
"a court's inherent authority to dismiss an indictment with
prejudice may be exercised only where there is either a 'showing
of irremediable harm to the defendant's opportunity to obtain a
fair trial' or 'prosecutorial misconduct that is egregious,
deliberate, and intentional, or that results in a violation of
constitutional rights.'" Commonwealth v. Rosa, 491 Mass. 369,
373 (2023), quoting Bridgeman v. District Attorney for the
Suffolk Dist., 476 Mass. 298, 316 (2017). "In the context of
criminal prosecutions, the executive power affords prosecutors
wide discretion in deciding whether to prosecute a particular
defendant, and that discretion is exclusive to them."
Commonwealth v. Borders, 73 Mass. App. Ct. 911, 912 (2009),
quoting Commonwealth v. Cheney, 440 Mass. 568, 574 (2003).
Accordingly, "dismissal with prejudice 'is a remedy of last
3 resort.'" Bridgeman, 476 Mass. at 316, quoting Commonwealth v.
Cronk, 396 Mass. 194, 198 (1985). See Commonwealth v. Mason,
453 Mass. 873, 877 (2009) (dismissal "precludes a public trial"
[citation omitted]).
As the judge's reasoning focused on the question of
irremediable harm, we turn first to consider whether sufficient
harm existed to support dismissal of the complaint with
prejudice and conclude that it did not. See Borders, 73 Mass.
App. Ct. at 913 (lack of record support for order of dismissal
permitted review of order despite absence of formal findings).
In dismissing the case, the judge stated that "[t]he passage of
time, in my experience, does not necessarily improve the ability
of witnesses to remember events in the past . . . . [T]hat fact
is a real element of the prejudice to the [d]efendant if the
case is revived at some later time." That said, degradation of
the witness's memory was not enough to support dismissal of the
charges with prejudice. The Legislature has addressed that
concern by setting forth a six-year statute of limitations for
the crimes with which the defendant was charged, see G. L.
c. 277, § 63, and a judge may not shorten that period through
exercise of the authority to dismiss a case with prejudice.5 See
5 The defendant also argued, below and before this court, that the harm suffered by the defendant in the course of a parallel civil case was enough to sustain the dismissal of the charges with prejudice. That assertion is misguided, however,
4 Commonwealth v. McLaughlin, 431 Mass. 241, 250 (2000) ("The
appropriate statute of limitations is a matter for the
Legislature").
We are further unconvinced that prosecutorial misconduct
could be said to support dismissal of the charges with
prejudice. The defendant asserts that the prosecutor's failure
to prepare -- or indeed, even interview -- the child before
trial was so negligent as to self-evidently rise to the level of
"egregious, deliberate, and intentional" misconduct. Rosa, 491
Mass. at 373. We are not persuaded. Although it is plainly
clear that the conduct of the Commonwealth in this respect
missed the mark, we discern nothing in the record to support the
conclusion that the government's failure to speak with the child
prior to trial was deliberate or intentional.6 See Commonwealth
as the "[p]rejudice required for dismissal focuses on the subsequent trial and the interference with procedural rights therein." Mason, 453 Mass. at 877. See Borders, 73 Mass. App. Ct. at 912 (dismissal with prejudice not supported in absence of finding that, inter alia, defendant's right to fair trial would be affected).
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NOTICE: Summary decisions issued by the Appeals Court pursuant to M.A.C. Rule 23.0, as appearing in 97 Mass. App. Ct. 1017 (2020) (formerly known as rule 1:28, as amended by 73 Mass. App. Ct. 1001 [2009]), are primarily directed to the parties and, therefore, may not fully address the facts of the case or the panel's decisional rationale. Moreover, such decisions are not circulated to the entire court and, therefore, represent only the views of the panel that decided the case. A summary decision pursuant to rule 23.0 or rule 1:28 issued after February 25, 2008, may be cited for its persuasive value but, because of the limitations noted above, not as binding precedent. See Chace v. Curran, 71 Mass. App. Ct. 258, 260 n.4 (2008).
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
APPEALS COURT
23-P-423
COMMONWEALTH
vs.
HEATHER A. GROTHE.
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER PURSUANT TO RULE 23.0
The Commonwealth appeals from an order of a District Court
judge dismissing, with prejudice, a criminal complaint charging
the defendant with assault and battery on a child causing injury
and permitting injury to a child, both in violation of G. L.
c. 265, § 13J (b). The complaint, which issued on April 28,
2021, arose from an accusation by the father of the child that
the defendant and her boyfriend abused the child by hitting him
and burning him with a lit cigarette.1
1A physician assistant also told police that the child stated that the defendant inserted a strand of her hair into his penis. Trial was scheduled for January 19, 2022, but, on that
date, the matter was continued until March 21.2 The Commonwealth
answered not ready for trial on March 21, however, and, at its
request and over the defendant's "strong objection," the matter
was continued to April 11. The docket was marked "NFC," meaning
that no further continuances would be allowed. On April 11, the
Commonwealth stated that it would be ready for trial, as the
child's father had gone to pick up the six year old from school.
The Commonwealth later admitted, however, that it could not
proceed because, after speaking with the child, it determined
that he was not capable of testifying as a witness at that
time.3, 4 The Commonwealth requested a further continuance to
investigate alternative ways to go forward with the case, such
as proceeding without the child as a witness. After some
discussion on the matter, the defendant moved for dismissal with
prejudice, and the judge allowed the motion. The Commonwealth
now appeals, arguing that the judge exceeded his authority in
2 The docket is unclear as to why the trial was continued on January 19. The Commonwealth suggests that the continuance was requested by the defendant, while the defendant proposes that the delay was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cause of the continuance does not bear on our decision.
3 The Commonwealth stated that "[the child's] attention was elsewhere" and that "he was also very concerned [about] the location" of the defendant.
4 The Commonwealth had only spoken to the child for the first time that day.
2 dismissing the charges with prejudice because there was no
showing of "irremediable harm." We agree and reverse so much of
the order as specified that the dismissal was with prejudice and
remand the matter to the District Court for entry of a
disposition consistent with this memorandum and order.
Discussion. "Generally, 'where a prosecutor is unprepared
to present her case due to the unexpected absence of a witness,
a judge has discretion to dismiss the case without prejudice.'"
Commonwealth v. Graham, 480 Mass. 516, 536 (2018), quoting
Commonwealth v. Lucero, 450 Mass. 1032, 1033 (2008). However,
"a court's inherent authority to dismiss an indictment with
prejudice may be exercised only where there is either a 'showing
of irremediable harm to the defendant's opportunity to obtain a
fair trial' or 'prosecutorial misconduct that is egregious,
deliberate, and intentional, or that results in a violation of
constitutional rights.'" Commonwealth v. Rosa, 491 Mass. 369,
373 (2023), quoting Bridgeman v. District Attorney for the
Suffolk Dist., 476 Mass. 298, 316 (2017). "In the context of
criminal prosecutions, the executive power affords prosecutors
wide discretion in deciding whether to prosecute a particular
defendant, and that discretion is exclusive to them."
Commonwealth v. Borders, 73 Mass. App. Ct. 911, 912 (2009),
quoting Commonwealth v. Cheney, 440 Mass. 568, 574 (2003).
Accordingly, "dismissal with prejudice 'is a remedy of last
3 resort.'" Bridgeman, 476 Mass. at 316, quoting Commonwealth v.
Cronk, 396 Mass. 194, 198 (1985). See Commonwealth v. Mason,
453 Mass. 873, 877 (2009) (dismissal "precludes a public trial"
[citation omitted]).
As the judge's reasoning focused on the question of
irremediable harm, we turn first to consider whether sufficient
harm existed to support dismissal of the complaint with
prejudice and conclude that it did not. See Borders, 73 Mass.
App. Ct. at 913 (lack of record support for order of dismissal
permitted review of order despite absence of formal findings).
In dismissing the case, the judge stated that "[t]he passage of
time, in my experience, does not necessarily improve the ability
of witnesses to remember events in the past . . . . [T]hat fact
is a real element of the prejudice to the [d]efendant if the
case is revived at some later time." That said, degradation of
the witness's memory was not enough to support dismissal of the
charges with prejudice. The Legislature has addressed that
concern by setting forth a six-year statute of limitations for
the crimes with which the defendant was charged, see G. L.
c. 277, § 63, and a judge may not shorten that period through
exercise of the authority to dismiss a case with prejudice.5 See
5 The defendant also argued, below and before this court, that the harm suffered by the defendant in the course of a parallel civil case was enough to sustain the dismissal of the charges with prejudice. That assertion is misguided, however,
4 Commonwealth v. McLaughlin, 431 Mass. 241, 250 (2000) ("The
appropriate statute of limitations is a matter for the
Legislature").
We are further unconvinced that prosecutorial misconduct
could be said to support dismissal of the charges with
prejudice. The defendant asserts that the prosecutor's failure
to prepare -- or indeed, even interview -- the child before
trial was so negligent as to self-evidently rise to the level of
"egregious, deliberate, and intentional" misconduct. Rosa, 491
Mass. at 373. We are not persuaded. Although it is plainly
clear that the conduct of the Commonwealth in this respect
missed the mark, we discern nothing in the record to support the
conclusion that the government's failure to speak with the child
prior to trial was deliberate or intentional.6 See Commonwealth
as the "[p]rejudice required for dismissal focuses on the subsequent trial and the interference with procedural rights therein." Mason, 453 Mass. at 877. See Borders, 73 Mass. App. Ct. at 912 (dismissal with prejudice not supported in absence of finding that, inter alia, defendant's right to fair trial would be affected). The defendant rightly conceded at oral argument that there is no legal authority supporting the proposition that, in the context of a criminal case, prejudice can be defined by what occurs in a related civil proceeding.
6 Moreover, prosecutorial misconduct alone is almost never enough to support the dismissal of criminal charges. See Mason, 453 Mass. at 877 ("Although our cases have suggested that nonprejudicial but egregious prosecutorial misconduct might in some circumstances warrant dismissal of criminal charges, we have never dismissed charges in such circumstances in the absence of prejudice" [citation omitted]).
5 v. Clegg, 61 Mass. App. Ct. 197, 202 (2004) ("Such a sanction
should be reserved for hard core transgressions, not a situation
such as this where there is no basis for concluding that the
Commonwealth was not acting in good faith or that the delay was
other than unintentional" [quotation and citation omitted]).
For the foregoing reasons, we reverse so much of the order
of dismissal as specified that the dismissal was with prejudice
and remand the matter to the District Court for entry of a
So ordered.
By the Court (Meade, Blake & Desmond, JJ.7),
Clerk
Entered: September 17, 2024.
7 The panelists are listed in order of seniority.