Doe v. Lyons

6 Mass. L. Rptr. 274
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedDecember 15, 1996
DocketNo. 960341
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 6 Mass. L. Rptr. 274 (Doe v. Lyons) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Doe v. Lyons, 6 Mass. L. Rptr. 274 (Mass. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

Garsh, J.

DISCOVERY

Defendants seek discovery of materials in the possession of the Boston Police Department (“BPD”) and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office (“the District Attorney”), two non-parties. The requested documents were generated in connection with the investigation and prosecution of a criminal action. BPD and the District Attorney have moved for a protective order; the District Attorney also moved to quash the subpoena duces tecum served upon it. Defendants cross-moved to compel discovery of police and prosecutorial records. For the following reasons, BPD’s motion for a protective order is denied; the District Attorney’s motion to quash is denied; its motion for a protective order is allowed in part and denied in part, as is the defendants’ cross-motion to compel.

BACKGROUND

The plaintiff has commenced this action against persons alleged to have ownership interests in or responsibility for control of security at the Club Axis. [275]*275The complaint alleges that, on January 1, 1995, the plaintiff was sexually assaulted in the rear area of the Club Axis by Thomas Kang (“Kang"). Plaintiff alleges that the defendants failed to exercise reasonable care to keep the premises safe and that the assault upon her was the result of the negligence of the defendants in failing to provide adequate security. More specifically, Doe alleges that the exterior of the building where she was attacked was in the process of being repaired and scaffolding had been erected around the rear exit which obscured the view of the exit and blocked any exterior light from shining on that area. She alleges that there were no external lights illuminating the exit door or the areas around the door and no means or device for a person outside the exit door to get the attention of the personnel inside the club. Doe alleges that there were no security personnel assigned to or patrolling either the rear or the building or the area of the exit door.

Kang was apprehended by security personnel from the Club Axis during the course of the assault and subsequently was arrested by BPD officers. Kang was indicted by the Suffolk County Grand Jury and pled guilty to aggravated rape and assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon.

During the plea colloquy, on October 25, 1995, the Assistant District Attorney recited the following facts

.[T]his is an offense that happened on New Year’s Eve of this year, going into New Year’s Day.
The victim is a twenty-four-old woman. She came into town — she lives in the suburbs and works as a nanny — to go to a nightclub called Axis, which is in the Fenway section of Boston. She came in with a few friends, and they were at the club for a few hours, when at one point she was approached by the defendant, who tried to initiate some conversation.
She spoke with him briefly and excused herself. She wasn’t particulary interested in talking further with the defendant. She was on her way to the ladies’ room, which was on the side of the dance floor right next to the bar.
It was very crowded that night, and she was trying to make her way through the crowd to the ladies’ room, when she was approached by the defendant, who pushed her out an emergency exit door, which had no way of getting back in the building. They were out in an alley.
He threw her up against the wall, took a brick and began beating her on the head with it, and then he tried to remove some of her clothes. He was able to get her shirt and her bra undone. He was not able to get her pants down, because she was struggling so much. He then took down his pants and raped her orally.
As he was doing this, a bouncer from the club just happened to be taking out the trash and walked out into the alley, walked upon the scene as she was screaming for help, and the defendant’s pants were literally down. He grabbed the defendant off of her and summonsed help.
The police were right out front, they responded immediately, and the defendant was taken into custody.

On January 22, 1996, the plaintiff brought this civil action. In the course of discovery, the defendants served deposition subpoenas duces tecum on the Keepers of the Records for the BPD and the District Attorney seeking access to all records concerning the arrest of Thomas Kang and all documents regarding the criminal proceeding Commonwealth v. Thomas Kang, Suffolk Superior Court No. 95-10020.2 Defendants have also served a subpoena duces tecum upon BPD Officer Robert Boyle.

The defendants have agreed to be bound by a confidentiality order. The plaintiff, by virtue of the filing of this civil complaint, has made her assault and her subsequent damages an issue on which the defendants are entitled to discovery, and the plaintiff does not object to any of the documents at issue being made available to the defendants by BPD or the District Attorney. The plaintiff does not oppose the defendants’ cross-motion to compel.

DISCUSSION

BPD and the District Attorney argue that a variety of statutes prohibit disclosure of the records sought and that, even if disclosure were not prohibited, the defendants should not be allowed to obtain access to the requested records. BPD also objects to the taking of Boyle’s deposition.

The documents sought contain information which relates directly to the claims in the pending action. Just how crowded the club was on the night of the assault, the placement of the staff inside the club during the relevant times, the nature of the interactions between Kang and the plaintiff inside the club, and what was capable of being heard inside the club from the outside rear all bear directly on what the defendants knew or should have known. The police investigation was conducted promptly after the incident occurred. Interviews and depositions at this date are unlikely to result in recollections as reliable and detailed as that contained in the police files. To the extent the documents contain statements made by the plaintiff herself, such statements constitute admissions for purposes of this action. Statements by others, such as the plaintiffs friends with her that night or other witnesses, may lead to the discovery of admissible evidence, may be used to refresh a witness’s recollection, or may contain prior inconsistent statements.

[276]*276G.L.c. 41, §97D and G.L.c. 265, §24C

G.L.c. 41, §97D provides that “[a]ll reports of rape and sexual assault. . . and all conversations between police officers and victims of said offenses shall not be public reports and shall be maintained by the police departments in a manner which will assure their confidentiality.” This statute is designed to foster “sensitivity for the rape victim’s plight." Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court, 379 Mass 846, 858 n. 9, vacated on other grounds 449 U.S. 894 (1980), on remand 383 Mass 838 (1981), rev’d on other grounds 457 US 596 (1982). A governmental report that is not “public” is one that is not automatically available to any member of the public who may, for whatever reason, wish a copy and who, thereafter, would be able to disseminate it to a wide audience.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
6 Mass. L. Rptr. 274, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/doe-v-lyons-masssuperct-1996.