Prosecutors in Essex County brought the charges of reckless endangerment of a child and procuring alcohol for a minor in Peabody district court against 44-year old Heidy Jordan.

Jordan went into a liquor store last June to buy alcohol at the request of her 13-year old daughter. She then provided the alcohol to six children at her home, and repeated the exercise a fortnight later for five children. According to prosecutors, one 12-year old boy became so ill he nearly had to be taken to hospital, whilst a girl became unconscious.

Judge Matthew Nestor sentenced the defendant to 2½ years in jail, with 1½ years of it being suspended.

LICENSING BOARD CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS
The city of Boston’s licensing board has become mired in controversy recently following the arrest of a state senator on federal bribery charges.

A key issue against Senator Diane Wilkerson centres around the award of a liquor licence. According to an affidavit from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Licensing Board chairman Daniel F Pokaski is said to have promoted a licence for a co-operating witness who was allegedly paying Wilkerson bribes to secure the coveted licence for a nightclub in Roxbury.

The affidavit says Pokaski met with Wilkerson and other politicians in August 2007 at the State House, where he allegedly agreed to provide the nightclub with a liquor license.

Federal authorities also say they recorded a conversation with a lawyer representing the nightclub who said Pokaski had called to say licence had become available and said: ‘I have one for ‘em. I promised it to them and I have one for ‘em’.

The Licensing Board is based at Boston City Hall but appointed by the state governor. It consists of Pokaski, and two other members. The number of licenses is strictly capped, making them valuable commodities worth thousands of dollars on the open market.

The Board grants and regulates various types of alcohol and food licenses for restaurants, nightclubs, private clubs, package stores, hotels, and inns. The Board also issues and regulates licenses for a common victuallers(food only), hotels (both with alcohol and without alcohol), bowling alleys, pool tables, lodging houses, dormitories (fraternities which are a category of dormitory licenses) and fortune tellers.

Last week the governor said he intended to review the board’s actions in the case of the Roxbury nightclub, taking appropriate action including removal if there are findings of misconduct.

Pokaski refused to answer questions about the allegations that were put to him by reporters from The Boston Globe.