Longtime court officer charged with raping shackled prisoner at courthouse; security is under review
A longtime Massachusetts court officer appeared in Lawrence District Court in handcuffs and leg shackles on Wednesday after being charged with raping a prisoner at the courthouse on multiple occasions since 2009.
Bond was set at $40,000 for Jose F. Martinez, 46. The 16-year court employee was ordered to stay away from the courthouse unless he is making an appearance for his own case, the Boston Globe and the Eagle Tribune report.
After she was sent to a New Hampshire prison, the alleged victim said she had been raped by Martinez, while shackled, in the courthouse elevator, in a holding cell and under a stairwell, in a maintenance area, in 2009 and last year, according to a state police report. She also said Martinez took at least one photo of her genitals while she was in custody in the Fenton Judicial Center, where Lawrence District Court is located..
A court official said in an email to the Globe that Martinez is on unpaid leave and security practices at the courthouse will be reviewed.
“We will review our policies in light of the facts of this case as they develop to determine if any changes need to be made,’’ wrote Jeffrey Morrow, the court’s security director.
The articles don’t include any comment from Martinez or his legal counsel.
