LaCourt

Second hearing held

Former Arlington Selectwoman Annie LaCourt and her husband, Mark Burstein, were ordered on Thursday, March 7, to pay fines of $500 each after they entered guilty pleas in connection with a party at their home last October.

Judge Sevelin Singleton of Cambridge District Court in Medford ordered that no gatherings of under-21-year-olds take place at their home.

The case was continued without a finding for one year. Their pleas were entered on all 33 counts, a spokeswoman for the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said March 8.

Arlington police were called to the Chatham Street home Oct. 19 to investigate complaints of an underage drinking party.

In a second hearing in juvenile court, held Wednesday, March 13, Middlesex Juvenile Court Judge Kenneth King accepted LaCourt and Burstein's "admission" pleas to a criminal complaint charging them each with three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Boston.com reporrted March 14. That hearing had been continued from Feb. 12.

Boston.com reported that the pleas do not lead to a guilty pleas being entered into the record, and the judge ordered the case to be continued for one year. If another issue arises with the couple during that span, the case could be brought back before the court.

The couple pleaded not guilty Dec. 21 in Cambridge District Court in Medford to 33 counts of furnishing alcohol to a person under 21.

A Jan. 30 pretrial hearing in Cambridge District Court was continued to Feb. 25 and then again to March 7.

LaCourt's and Burstein’s attorney, Thomas Brant of Boston, said the couple entered not-guilty pleas in December to three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor during an arraignment in juvenile court, which was not open to the public.

Arlington Police said that in 2009 they had discovered a similar party at LaCourt’s home, but no charges were filed. In that incident, police spotted a drinking game of "beer pong" set up on a folding table in the front hall of the house along with several beer cans, according to a police report.

For more, see the Dec. 21 Boston.com story >>

LaCourt served seven years on the Board of Selectmen before deciding not to seek reelection last spring.

This story was published Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013, and updated numerous times. the latest March 15.