Top state judge: "Evil" in Hampden County

BOSTON (WWLP) - Is there evil in Hampden County? A top state justice believes there is.

Chief Justice of Administration and Management Robert Mulligan prefaced his remarks before the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield Wednesday, saying he hoped not to offend anyone, but there’s “a level of evil” in Hampden County that’s different from the rest of the state.

“The level of crime, I don’t know how to describe it, the level of evil in some of the criminal cases in Hampden County , you know it, because you read the paper everyday, it’s really different,” Mulligan said.

Mulligan did not name any cases specifically, but said murder cases in Springfield courts are tragic.

“There seem to be cases where the violence is particularly gratuitous, more so than what I’ve seen and what I recognize going on in other large urban areas in the Commonwealth.

Speaking at the annual visit by the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield to the State House, the chief justice also revealed publicly for the first time the extent of damage done to the Hampden County Hall of Justice during last year’s tornado.

“You might also know that the tornado actually twisted that building a little bit. It’s architecturally sound, but it certainly needs a total refurbishing in that court house,” he said.

Mulligan added that the Springfield District Court is understaffed; only having 56 percent of the clerks needed to staff the court.

Lawmakers and officials said that though the economy is recovering, it is not recovering at a rate fast enough to replenish funds that have been cut from branches like the trial courts. 

"We’re continuing to struggle but I think what’s important is there seems to be a more global awareness here at the highest levels of government here in Beacon Hill ...that crisis is even more acute in the western part of the state," said Sen. Gale Candaras (D-Wilbraham).