Dates have been set for probable cause hearings in the cases against 28 people accused of paying for sex in a high-end brothel network alleged to have been operating in Massachusetts and Virginia.
The names of the accused have yet to be released, but the hearings will be open to the public after requests from NBC10 Boston and other news outlets. The hearings are set for Jan. 18, Jan. 19 and Jan. 22 in Cambridge District Court, starting at 10 a.m. each morning.
Capacity is limited and attendees will be allowed in on a first come basis. If no probable cause is found further details will not be made public. If it is, court paperwork will be made available.
This is significant because typically these hearings, called "show cause hearings" are closed to the public, a concept unique to Massachusetts' criminal justice system. It allows people accused of misdemeanors who haven't been arrested to have closed-door hearings with clerk magistrates. Typically, the cases are only made public if the magistrate decides there is enough probable cause to approve the criminal charges.
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But following media requests, Cambridge District Court Clerk-Magistrate Sharon Shelfer Casey allowed the proceedings to be open to the public, citing public interest in the case.
The arrests of three people in connection with the brothel organization alleged to have operated in Massachusetts and Virginia drew public attention, and acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy of Massachusetts previously said that the list of accused clients included politicians, professors, military officers and pharmaceutical executives.
