A Declaration of Independence: Reaffirming the Autonomy of the Third Branch

James W. Dolan, Esq., Principal, Dolan and Connly, P.C., Former First Justice, Dorchester District Court

The study graphically documents the wildly uneven distribution of resources caused by a patronage system that has led to overstaffing of courts that are politically connected and understaffing of those that are not. The documentation is compellingly clear, one of the best existing analyses of the effects of patronage in a court system. The legal maxim “res ipsa loquitur” captures the self-evident nature of the presentation. There was no need for editorializing.

A Declaration of Independence: Reaffirming the Autonomy of the Third Branch