IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS CENTRAL DIVISION
MARY T. JEAN,
Plaintiff.
vs.
MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE,
Defendant.
No. 06-40031
PLAINTIFF'S VERIFIED ORIGINAL COMPLAINT,
APPLICATION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINT AND SHOW
CAUSE, AND FOR PRELIMINARY AND PERMANENT
INJUNCTIVE RELIEF
COMES NOW MARY T. JEAN and invokes the
jurisdiction of this Honorable Court to award
her temporary restraint and show cause, and
preliminary and permanent injunctive relief
against the MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE, as
hereinafter set forth.
I. JURISDICTION
1. This Court has jurisdiction in that the
civil actions hereinafter pled arise under the
Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United
States. 28 U.S.C. § 1331. The Constitutional
deprivation is that of free speech without prior
restraint, protected under U.S. CONST. Amend. 1,
as statutorily implemented at 42 U.S.C. § 1983
et seq.
II. PARTIES
2. Plaintiff MARY T. JEAN is a citizen of
Worcester County, Massachusetts. She has the
capacity to sue in that she can demonstrate an
injury in fact, causation, and redressability.
The nature of the Plaintiff's injury is
deprivation of her constitutionally protected
free speech by the chilling effects of an
impermissible exercise of the Commonwealth's
police powers.
3. Defendant MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE is
an entity of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
that may be served through its General Counsel,
Ann M. McCarthy, 470 Worcester Road, Framingham,
MA 01702-5309 and upon the Office of the
Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
Government Bureau, One Ashburton Place, Room
2019, Boston, MA 02108.
III. VENUE
4. Venue is proper in the District of
Massachusetts, Central Division pursuant to 28
U.S.C. § 1391.
IV. FACTS
5. Plaintiff is a private citizen engaged in
political activity. Plaintiff operates two
internet websites, "worcestervoice.com" and
"Conte2OO6.com," the second of which is at issue
in this case. The "Conte2OO6" site has arguably
been instrumental in encouraging the District
Attorney of Worcester County, MA, Hon. John
Conte, not to seek re-election as he had
previously announced.
6. In her legitimate political activities
vis a vis Mr. Conte, Plaintiff posted on her
"Conte 2006" website, a videotaped recording of
what she believes to be a warrantless and
unlawful entry upon the premises of Mr. Paul
Pechonis by the so-called "C-Pac" Unit of the
Massachusetts State Police, a unit assigned to
the selfsame Worcester County District Attorney.
The recording involved was, upon information and
belief, automatically videotaped by a child
security system at Mr. Pechonis's home. The
videotape, provided to her by Mr. Pechonis,
captures what is arguably unlawful conduct by
the Defendants here, the Massachusetts State
Police. In no way does the Plaintiff s conduct
involve activities for which she has been
threatened with felony prosecution under MASS.
GEN. L. ch. 277 § 99, an anti-wiretapping
statute intended to foil organized crime. She
was in no way involved in making the videotape
involved and indeed, did not even know Mr.
Pechonis at the time the videotape was made.
7. Understandably, the posting of this
videotape on Plaintiff s website is an
embarrassment to the Defendant Massachusetts
State Police and Mr. Conte. Thus, in
retaliation, the Defendant sent to Mrs. Jean a
self-styled "cease and desist' letter, a true an
correct copy of which is attached hereto as
Exhibit "A" and incorporate herein by reference
for all purposes.
8. It is Plaintiff s position that Exhibit
"A," is an unlawful use by the Defendant of the
chilling effects of the Commonwealth's police
powers to restrain her rights to free speech and
expression, as set forth in letter to counsel, a
true an correct copy of which is attached hereto
as Exhibit "B" and incorporate herein by
reference for all purposes.
V. FIRST COUNT: VIOLATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS
UNDER § 1983
9. Plaintiff re-alleges pars. 5-8 in support of
this claim.
10. At time of trial, plaintiff will prove
that the conduct complained of chillingly, and
with prior restraint, deprives her of her rights
to free speech as prohibited in Amend. I of the
United States Constitution, as implemented in 42
U.S.C. § 1983. She also pleads for reasonable
and necessary attorney's fees for herself
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1988.
VI. EMERGENCY EX-PARTE REQUEST FOR TRO AND
SHOW CAUSE
11. Plaintiff pleads that unless a TRO issues
against the defendant to preclude it from
further threatening conduct, she will suffer
irreparable harm in that, as alleged above and
verified below, plaintiff believes that her
further exercise of free speech will subject her
to unlawful arrest. The harm is imminent.
Plaintiff further pleads that unless a TRO
issue, she will have no other adequate remedy at
law to protect her rights to free speech and
expression, the deprivation of which for even an
instant is without legal redress. She further
pleads that because of the record extant in this
case, that she is likely to prevail on the
merits. She also pleads that any potential
injury to her far outweighs any injury sustained
by the defendant if injunctive relief were
granted. She further pleads that injunctive
relief would have a positive effect on the
public interests involved. She further pleads
that the TRO issue ex-parte, if necessary, in
that the defendant has already been alerted to
the pendency of this action and has been invited
to appear.
12. Because of the nature of the conduct
involved and the inherent public interests
involved, she asks that a bond be set in a de
minimis amount.
13. Plaintiff also requests that the
requested TRO contain an ORDER to the Defendant
to appear and SHOW CAUSE why the temporary
relief granted therein should not be extended
for the duration of this lawsuit in the form a
Preliminary Injunction and why such other relief
which, upon hearing of the evidence, this Court
also deems appropriate, should not be granted.
In the alternative, should a TRO not issue, she
asks for an expeditious setting of a hearing on
the Preliminary Injunction.
VII. REQUEST FOR PERMANENT INJUNCTION
14. Plaintiff also requests that upon
completion of trial of this case, a permanent
injunction issue to prevent further violations
of the unlawful conduct cited herein.
VIII. REQUEST FOR RELIEF
15. Plaintiff asks that TRO and show cause
orders issue ex-parte if necessary and that upon
notice and hearing, she have the preliminary
injunctive relief sought or, in the alternative,
that she have an expeditious hearing of her
application for a Preliminary Injunction. She
also asks for permanent injunctive relief. She
also asks for reasonable and necessary
attorneys' fees as provided by law. She asks for
such other and further relief to which she may
show herself justly entitled.
Respectfully submitted,
DANIEL J. SHEA, P.C.
By:
DANIEL J. SHEA (ECF) B.B.O.# 652896
1928 West Bell Street
Houston, TX 77019-4814
(713) 942-7500 Telephone
(713) 942-7507 Telecopier
(832) 647-3612 Mobile
DJS7500@aol.com
ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF,
MARY T. JEAN
VERIFICATION OF MARY T. JEAN
I, the undersigned MARY T. JEAN hereby state
under pains and penalties of perjury that I am
the plaintiff in the above styled lawsuit. I am
over the age of eighteen (18) years, mentally
competent, and not otherwise disqualified by law
from making an affidavit. I have supplied the
facts that are contained in the above pleadings
at pars. 5-8. 1 have read and review those facts
as set forth above. I have first hand knowledge
of those facts, except where otherwise indicated
as being on information and belief, and those
facts are true and correct. I further verify
that the Temporary Restraint and Show Cause
Orders requested are needed for the reasons pled
above.
Signed this 17th day of
February 2006.
MARY T. JEAN