Name: Ex-deputy chief's suit seeks $1M-plus from Salem resident who complained
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Ex-deputy chief's suit seeks $1M-plus from Salem resident who complained

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You are the owner of this article.You have permission to edit this article.A former Salem deputy police chief is seeking to put a $1 million lien on the home of a resident who complained about him.A Superior Court judge heard arguments Friday in a defamation lawsuit by Robert Morin against Mary-Jo Driggers of Salem. In late October, an attorney for Morin motioned to attach a lien on Driggers’ house on Fox Run Lane and $50,000 from a federal settlement from the town’s insurer Primex.The $50,000 was paid to Driggers after mediation this fall to resolve a federal lawsuit Driggers filed against Morin, a second police officer and the town of Salem.Driggers’ attorneys said Morin’s lawsuit is consistent with the “atmosphere of fear and retribution” that people felt when making complaints against the Salem police and say they expect to put a swift end to the lawsuit after filing a motion for summary judgement.Rockingham County Superior Court Judge Marguerite Wageling took the matter under advisement.Attorney Andrea Amodeo-Vickery, who represents Morin, said in her motion that the attachment was necessary because Driggers filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and that her homeowners insurance will not provide coverage for damages.Morin filed the suit against Driggers last year based on statements she made to Town Manager Chris Dillon and to investigators with Kroll Inc. who audited the department.Driggers’ complaint centered primarily on Nov. 23, 2017, when she was arrested by Morin at her home because she wouldn’t let police inside to speak with her son, Michael Driggers. Earlier, police had found a Jeep driven by Michael crashed into a stone wall in the neighborhood and suspected he was driving while intoxicated.Morin argues Driggers was not cooperating with police, who were concerned with Michael’s wellbeing, but Driggers said she was arrested without cause and only as leverage for her permission for police to enter the home, which she gave while in handcuffs.Driggers also believes Morin was awoken that night by officers on duty and motivated to intervene because Morin’s girlfriend’s daughter was sleeping at the residence that evening and dating Michael at the time.The accounts of that night, and other allegations were recorded using pseudonyms in Kroll’s audit report, which Town Manager Chris Dillon decided to publish in November 2018.Morin is also suing the town, Dillon and the town’s current and former human resources directors for defamation.A trial in that case was scheduled for October, but continued to a later date.Amodeo-Vickery wrote that it was Driggers’ complaint to Dillon that precipitated the Kroll report, which led to Morin being placed on paid administrative leave. Morin ultimately retired in June 2019.Dillon previously told the Union Leader that he was already planning to commission an audit of the department, but that Driggers’ complaint “confirmed” a review was necessary.Drigger’s attorneys said that Morin is currently under criminal investigation for “his conduct underlying this case” and that it shows “how serious state attorneys, with no skin in the game, consider his conduct to be.”Morin and former chief Paul Donovan have been under investigation since early 2019. Two other ranking officers from the Salem Police Department, Capt. Mike Wagner and Sgt. Michael Verrocchi, have been charged with crimes stemming from the state attorney general’s investigations.© Copyright 2022 , 100 William Loeb Drive Manchester, NH&nbsp;| &nbsp;|Powered by from .Sorry, an error occurred.You are logged in&nbsp;Sign up withThank you .Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.Check your email for details.Sign in withSubmitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.×Thank you.Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.Rate:Begins:Ends:Transaction ID:A receipt was sent to your email.

You are the owner of this article.You have permission to edit this article.A former Salem deputy police chief is seeking to put a $1 million lien on the home of a resident who complained about him.A Superior Court judge heard arguments Friday in a defamation lawsuit by Robert Morin against Mary-Jo Driggers of Salem. In late October, an attorney for Morin motioned to attach a lien on Driggers’ house on Fox Run Lane and $50,000 from a federal settlement from the town’s insurer Primex.The $50,000 was paid to Driggers after mediation this fall to resolve a federal lawsuit Driggers filed against...

Ex-deputy chief's suit seeks $1M-plus from Salem resident who complained

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