Teh One Who Knocks
11-17-2015, 12:35 PM
Reported by Kathy Curran, Kevin Rothstein and Jonathan Wells - WCVB Channel 5
http://i.imgur.com/0KvvGMh.jpg
She's one of the highest-earning court clerks in the state, but 5 Investigates discovered on average she's working only two-and-a-half hours a day.
The Massachusetts Trial Court has now launched its own review.
5 Investigates tracked the work habits of Concord District Court Clerk Magistrate Ann Colicchio on 26 business days during a four-month period and found the clerk at the courthouse on average two hours and 23 minutes a day.
On 10 of those days, she was a complete no-show.
On one day in August our camera caught Colicchio heading out for a stroll with a dog miles away in Lowell. It was in the middle of the work day and court was in session in Concord.
She was getting paid but not working. It's a pattern 5 Investigates documented day after day.
Colicchio is the third-highest-paid clerk in the state, earning $134,692 in salary and an additional $35,000 last year for setting bail for prisoners after hours in Lowell.
On another work day, Colicchio called it a day after only two hours and 50 minutes on the job. Dressed in casual clothes, she hopped in a car with a few friends and drove north with 5 Investigates following.
Her first stop was Markey's Lobster Pool in Seabrook, New Hampshire, where the clerk enjoyed a late lunch and snapped a few photos with her friends. Then it was off to Hampton Beach where a 5 Investigates camera captured her stretched out on a deck, catching a few rays.
Colicchio gave us a statement saying she took 47 days of earned leave time from June to October to deal with family health issues.
According to the state’s trial court, all clerks are allowed to take 65 days off each year, plus holidays and accrued sick time.
“I think it's OK if I take that time that I've earned,” Colicchio said.
Retired Judge Isaac Borenstein said for a court’s top clerk that is too much time away from the court.
"They're critical to making sure things work," Borenstein said of clerk magistrates. "It's like the coach of an NFL football team not going to the game on Sunday. Sure the other assistant coaches will deliver the product, but you're the head coach. You're being paid to do that."
5 Investigates also found Colicchio running errands during work hours and spending time with Lowell District Court Clerk William Lisano, who is facing criminal charges and on paid administrative leave, accused of pushing and slapping his wife.
On a Wednesday afternoon in June we observed Colicchio and Lisano visiting a nursing home for a half hour.
When we called the clerk's office during one work day, we were told Colicchio was unavailable. The truth was she did not show up for work that entire day.
“Any time I've been away from this court has been on my time," Colicchio said.
Pam Wilmot, head of the government watchdog group Common Cause Massachusetts, took issue with the amount of time off given to clerk magistrates.
"Why are any state employees or government officials allowed to have 60 vacation days and unlimited sick time?" Wilmot asked. “That's just ridiculous. How can you do your job?"
5 Investigates asked Colicchio if she thought she could do her job effectively while taking so much time off. “I'm not aware of any issues with doing my work," she said.
The trial court is not required to provide a public record of the days the clerk reported taking off.
5 Investigates tracked Colicchio again after NewsCenter 5 told her of the investigation and found she had started working full days.
http://i.imgur.com/0KvvGMh.jpg
She's one of the highest-earning court clerks in the state, but 5 Investigates discovered on average she's working only two-and-a-half hours a day.
The Massachusetts Trial Court has now launched its own review.
5 Investigates tracked the work habits of Concord District Court Clerk Magistrate Ann Colicchio on 26 business days during a four-month period and found the clerk at the courthouse on average two hours and 23 minutes a day.
On 10 of those days, she was a complete no-show.
On one day in August our camera caught Colicchio heading out for a stroll with a dog miles away in Lowell. It was in the middle of the work day and court was in session in Concord.
She was getting paid but not working. It's a pattern 5 Investigates documented day after day.
Colicchio is the third-highest-paid clerk in the state, earning $134,692 in salary and an additional $35,000 last year for setting bail for prisoners after hours in Lowell.
On another work day, Colicchio called it a day after only two hours and 50 minutes on the job. Dressed in casual clothes, she hopped in a car with a few friends and drove north with 5 Investigates following.
Her first stop was Markey's Lobster Pool in Seabrook, New Hampshire, where the clerk enjoyed a late lunch and snapped a few photos with her friends. Then it was off to Hampton Beach where a 5 Investigates camera captured her stretched out on a deck, catching a few rays.
Colicchio gave us a statement saying she took 47 days of earned leave time from June to October to deal with family health issues.
According to the state’s trial court, all clerks are allowed to take 65 days off each year, plus holidays and accrued sick time.
“I think it's OK if I take that time that I've earned,” Colicchio said.
Retired Judge Isaac Borenstein said for a court’s top clerk that is too much time away from the court.
"They're critical to making sure things work," Borenstein said of clerk magistrates. "It's like the coach of an NFL football team not going to the game on Sunday. Sure the other assistant coaches will deliver the product, but you're the head coach. You're being paid to do that."
5 Investigates also found Colicchio running errands during work hours and spending time with Lowell District Court Clerk William Lisano, who is facing criminal charges and on paid administrative leave, accused of pushing and slapping his wife.
On a Wednesday afternoon in June we observed Colicchio and Lisano visiting a nursing home for a half hour.
When we called the clerk's office during one work day, we were told Colicchio was unavailable. The truth was she did not show up for work that entire day.
“Any time I've been away from this court has been on my time," Colicchio said.
Pam Wilmot, head of the government watchdog group Common Cause Massachusetts, took issue with the amount of time off given to clerk magistrates.
"Why are any state employees or government officials allowed to have 60 vacation days and unlimited sick time?" Wilmot asked. “That's just ridiculous. How can you do your job?"
5 Investigates asked Colicchio if she thought she could do her job effectively while taking so much time off. “I'm not aware of any issues with doing my work," she said.
The trial court is not required to provide a public record of the days the clerk reported taking off.
5 Investigates tracked Colicchio again after NewsCenter 5 told her of the investigation and found she had started working full days.