PAX Centurion - September / October 2014

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • September/Octoberr 2014 • Page 25 Legal Thoughts: Kenneth H. Anderson, Esq. Byrne & Anderson, L.L.P., Counsel to Members of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association Random October thoughts See October Thoughts on page 31 A s summer fades to fall and as the days become shorter and shorter, we are reminded that change is inevitable. There are changes for the better. There are changes for the worse. There are changes that make no difference at all. And there are changes made simply for the sake of change. Ever heard of the BPD “fairness” transfers? Having said that, here are a few random October thoughts I want to pass along. Best Wishes to Judge Drechsler – You Will Be Missed Here S ometime in 1997, I met Attorney Tom Drechsler. I was a prosecu- tor in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office prosecuting someone who had gone on a wild car chase during which three state troopers and a detective from District 4 shot at the stolen Corvette. This chase, which spanned from behind the State House to Kenmore Square to Storrow Drive to Government Center to Chinatown, caused damage to thirty vehicles and sent several people to the hospital. The suspect himself was shot and the stolen Corvette was riddled with bullets. Tom Drechsler had come to a clerk’s hearing at the Boston Municipal Court to represent a patrol officer fromA-1 who, through court shenanigans from the defendant, had a criminal complaint application taken out against him for attempted murder. I assisted Tom in giving him all of the informa- tion I could to assist the patrol officer, and later learned that partway through the clerk’s hearing, Tom’s cross-exami- nation got the defendant so upset that he withdrew the complaint application. A year later, I began working for Tom at the firm which was then named Finneran, Byrne, Drechsler & O’Brien. In over sixteen and a half years of working with Tom, I watched his representation of Bos- ton Police Officers and officers from numerous other law enforce- ment agencies. There has never been an attorney who has represented law enforcement officers so skillfully, professionally, respectfully, ethically, conscientiously and, above all, zealously. Tom is a law- yer who returns every phone call. He is a lawyer who cares about his clients. He is also a lawyer who can pull off some of the most entertaining cross-examinations one can imagine. Tom has been a great mentor and teacher, and we will miss him very much as he goes on to serve as a Superior Court judge. Tom offered some of the best legal representation available, and at the newly named firm of Byrne &Anderson, we hope to maintain that high quality representation that Tom has offered to Boston patrol officers for so many years. Good luck on the bench, Tom. Internal Affairs Chaos I t was with a sense of anger that I read a news article this past July about the Department of VeteranAffairs. The story was about a veteran living inActon, MA who was undergoing treat- ment for brain cancer. A year after the vet- eran’s diagnosis, he attempted to transfer his care from Boston to the VA Hospital in Bedford so he would not have to drive into the city for his treatment. The Department of VeteranAffairs did not respond and, unfortunate- ly, the veteran died four months after making this request. What angered everyone about this story was the fact that two years after his death, his widow received a letter telling her that her husband had been cleared for treatment at the BedfordVA Dear Tom, all BPPA Officers, reps and Jim Barry: A s many of you know I was nominated by the Governor to be- come a Justice of the Superior Court in July. The Governor’s Council voted to confirm my nomination by an 8-0 vote on 9/3 and I will be sworn in at a private ceremony by the Governor on Friday. On Tuesday 9/23 @ 3:30 pm in the Salem Supe- rior Court (Room K) the Chief Justice will conduct a public induction ceremony. Later on there will be an informal reception at the Boston Yacht Club at 1 Front St. in Marblehead. I hope that some of you might be kind enough to join me at either or both of these events re- garding this tremendous honor and my career change. All are invited. I cannot begin to tell all of you what an honor and pleasure it has been to represent members of the BPPA. I will appreciate and treasure the memories of my experiences as a BPPA attorney for the rest of my days. I regret that in the future I will be “unable to re- Comments from Attorney Tom Drechsler spond” to the needs of your member- ship, but I hope all of you understand that the distinction and honor of becoming a Superior Court Justice is the only thing I would leave you for and the opportunity of a lifetime. Maybe somewhere some lawyer has had a better client than the BPPA but I seriously doubt it.You have always made me feel part of the family. Sim- ply put, as clients, as representatives of your membership, in good times and bad, through all sorts of adversity, you are and have been THE BEST! Thank you and I look forward to seeing you soon. Sincerely, Tom Drechsler