R.G. v. C.f.-M.
R.G. v. C.f.-M.
Opinion of the Court
The defendant, C.F.-M., appeals from the issuance of a harassment prevention order issued pursuant to G. L. c. 258E. She contends that her neighbor, R.G.,
Discussion. 1. The order. The standard for issuance of a G. L. c. 258E harassment prevention order is "whether the judge could find, by a preponderance of the evidence, together with all permissible inferences, that the defendant had committed [three] or more acts of willful and malicious conduct aimed at a specific person committed with the intent to cause fear, intimidation, abuse or damage to property and that [did] in fact cause fear, intimidation, abuse, or damage to property." Gassman v. Reason,
We recite the facts as the judge would have been permitted to find them, and which his order indicates he credited. R.G. and C.F.-M. were neighbors who had a tumultuous relationship. R.G. told C.F.-M. to stay away from her children.
A month later, on or about July 16, 2016, C.F.-M. went to R.G.'s house uninvited and stated to R.G. that if R.G. did not make peace with her then she would "take measures." R.G. told C.F.-M. to leave her family alone and stay away. Finally, at a time and date unspecified, C.F.-M. came to R.G.'s home "in the middle of the night" and pounded on the door, "screaming [R.G.'s] name" and asking R.G. to come outside.
In reviewing the three acts, we are mindful that fear is judged by a subjective standard. Gassman v. Reason,
The act of hiding with R.G.'s younger child, while R.G. was searching for him, is clearly an act which a judge could find was malicious, designed to cause fear, and which did place R.G. in fear. The judge was also aware of R.G.'s repeated requests that C.F.-M. leave R.G. and her children alone. The judge could also find that C.F.-M.'s statement that she would "take measures" to be a threat. Although the act of banging on the door in the middle of the night is more ambiguous, it must be viewed in context. A.T. v. C.R.,
2. Procedural due process. Three separate proceedings involving C.F.-M. were heard on the same day. C.F.-M. had first filed a request for an abuse prevention order against another individual, who lived with R.G., but who also had had a sexual relationship with C.F.-M. At that hearing, there was testimony regarding that sexual relationship; R.G. was present in the court room. R.G. then filed the instant request for a harassment prevention order against C.F.-M. A hearing was held later that afternoon, and the judge issued a six-month order. Once the judge issued his ruling, C.F.-M. asked for a reciprocal order against R.G., which was denied.
C.F.-M. maintains that she was denied procedural due process because she was denied the opportunity to appear with counsel and present evidence. For the first time on appeal, she also contends that she was denied procedural due process because she was not served with R.G.'s complaint and did not have an opportunity to read R.G.'s complaint and affidavit before the hearing.
In contested proceedings, each party must be given a meaningful opportunity to challenge the other party's evidence. See F.A.P. v. J.E.S.,
Here, the hearing took place on the same day that R.G. filed the application for a G. L. c. 258E order. C.F.-M. was nonetheless given a meaningful and fair opportunity to present her case. See Frizado,
In dealing with this complicated set of relationships, it was well within the judge's discretion to hold the hearing on the same day as the application was filed. See Singh v. Capuano,
C.F.-M. did not cross-examine R.G., and now claims error in the failure of the judge to tell her that she was permitted to do so. A judge has considerable discretion in conducting hearings of this type, including limitations on cross-examination. See Frizado,
Finally, C.F.-M. contends on appeal that she was not provided a copy of the complaint and affidavit before or during the hearing.
C.F.-M.'s belated protest did not place the judge on notice that she claimed not to have the affidavit, as opposed to a general protest about being heard on short notice. As a consequence, the record is barren of any evidence that the complaint and affidavit were not provided. Errors that are not disclosed by the record afford no basis for reversal. Buckmore v. Czelusniak Funeral Home, Inc.,
Harassment prevention order affirmed.
We identify the parties by their initials in order to protect the identity of the plaintiff, in accordance with
R.G. said she did so repeatedly personally and by electronic mail (e-mail). C.F.-M. admitted to receiving an e-mail, although the time frame is unclear.
C.F.-M. argues on appeal that the second and third examples occurred at the same time, and should be treated as a single incident. They were presented to the judge as separate instances, and the events as described in this record are dissimilar. On this record, we cannot say, as a matter of law, that the incidents were not separate, or that any implicit finding that the incidents were separate was clearly erroneous.
R.G. relied on two other instances of contact with her children, one in which C.F.-M. sent her daughter over with a gift for R.G.'s older son, and another in which C.F.-M. discussed school assignments with R.G.'s older son. We do not address these episodes.
We note that "the Supreme Judicial Court has repeatedly cited case law interpreting c. 209A orders when analyzing analogous issues in the context of c. 258E orders." J.S.H. v. J.S.,
The harassment prevention order states in part that, "For good cause ... a defendant may request the Court to modify this Order before its scheduled expiration date."
The time stamps on the transcript indicate that C.F.-M.'s previous case ended at 3:35 p.m. and the present case commenced at 4:32 p.m. If correct, the one-hour time difference would rebut C.F.-M.'s contention that she was "asked to step forward immediately after the conclusion" of her prior hearing. However, even if the time stamp is incorrect, as counsel argues, the timing does not establish the she was not actually given the complaint or the affidavit.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.