[kwflatbed]

7 counts of firearm possession without FID card filed against basketball coach

By Don Conkey
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Nov 05, 2008 @ 03:43 AM

DUXBURY -
Duxbury's recreation director is scheduled to be arraigned on gun-related charges, police said.
Police Chief Mark DeLuca said Gordon Cushing, who is also the town's high school varsity basketball coach, is being charged with seven counts of possession of a firearm without an FID card, one count of possession of a sawed-off shotgun and seven counts of improperly storing a firearm.
Cushing was due to be arraigned Tuesday in Plymouth District Court, but the arraignment date was postponed to Nov. 25, the court clerk's office said.
DeLuca said Cushing's wife, Kristine Cushing, went to the Duxbury police station and sought an emergency restraining order against him Sept. 1, and the order was granted over the phone by an on-call judge.
Sept. 1 was Labor Day.
Kingston police went to the Cushings' home at 318 Tremont St. to serve the emergency restraining order, DeLuca said.
DeLuca said Duxbury police officers were not available to serve the order because a tribute and other services were being held for Melvin Dyer, a Duxbury officer who was killed in the line of duty.
DeLuca said that the restraining order included surrendering any firearms, and that seven rifles were taken by police.
"He was asked to surrender his FID (firearm identification) card, and he had no FID card," DeLuca said.
Cushing told The Patriot Ledger on Tuesday that he was not at the home on Tremont Street on Sept. 1 and was called to the police station regarding the restraining order.
Cushing said that he did have an FID card and took it to the police station, but that police told him it had expired.
He and his wife have been in the process of getting a divorce for about a year, and he has not lived in the house since June, Cushing said.
He said the emergency restraining order was overturned Sept. 2 when he and his wife appeared in Plymouth District Court.
Cushing said that he could not comment at length, on the advice of his attorney, Jeffrey Beckerman.
"I think that when all the facts come out in the case it will be shown a little different than what is out there right now," Cushing said.
"This is a family matter, and it is devastating on all levels," personal and professional, he said.
Cushing has been the town's recreation director for 19 years. He has been Duxbury High School's head varsity basketball coach for nine seasons.
Duxbury Town Manager Richard MacDonald said Tuesday that he was aware of gun-related charges against Cushing, and that DeLuca had informed him.
MacDonald said he could not comment on the situation surrounding the charges against Cushing, but did say that Cushing was still the town's recreation director.
Attempts to reach Duxbury Superintendent of Schools Susan Skeiber were unsuccessful.

http://www.patriotledger.com/news/c...64/Gun-charges-filed-against-Duxbury-official

 

[kwflatbed]

Felony weapons charge against Duxbury High coach is dropped

Cushing continues to face misdemeanor firearm charges; arraignment set for Dec. 18

By Tamara Race
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Nov 25, 2008 @ 06:05 AM

DUXBURY -

Prosecutors have dropped the felony count of possession of a sawed-off shotgun against Duxbury Recreation Director and high school basketball coach Gordon Cushing.
Cushing still faces seven counts of possession of a firearm without a license, and seven counts of improper storage of a firearm, all misdemeanors.
Cushing's arraignment, originally scheduled for Nov. 4, was scheduled for today , but the case was brought forward Nov. 14 for pre-arraignment dismissal of the shotgun charge.
Today's arraignment was postponed to Dec. 18.
Town Manager Richard MacDonald said Cushing remains on both jobs pending the outcome of the case.
"I stand by my employees," he said. "People are innocent until proven guilty."
Police took seven guns, including the shotgun, from an unlocked shed behind Cushing's home after his wife was granted an emergency restraining order in September, police reports state.
Kristine Cushing told authorities that her husband was harassing her via threatening text and phone messages.
Police say Gordon Cushing's firearm identification card had expired long ago.
Police also took a Tiger compound bow from the shed but returned it after Cushing produced a license for the weapon.
The initial emergency restraining order was overturned in Plymouth District Court the following day, but Kristine Cushing has since filed for another restraining order, in the probate court in Brockton, court records show.
Gordon Cushing has been the town's recreation director for 19 years. He has been Duxbury High School's head varsity basketball coach for nine seasons.
Kristine Cushing filed for divorce in May. The Cushings were married in 1991 and have two children.

http://www.patriotledger.com/news/x...-charge-against-Duxbury-High-coach-is-dropped

 

[Goose]

There's a compound bow license in MA now? Who would have thought...

 

[kwflatbed]

Weapons charges dropped against Duxbury coach one week before first scrimmage

Some charges dropped, others continued without a finding

Matt Teuten
Duxbury's head coach Gordon Cushing applauds his teams performance, in a match up against Franklin Saturday evening.

By Tamara Race
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Dec 03, 2008 @ 06:49 AM
Last update Dec 03, 2008 @ 06:55 AM

DUXBURY -

Misdemeanor weapons charges against Duxbury High's boys basketball coach have been continued without a finding for six months, meaning the charges will probably be dismissed if the coach stays out of trouble.
Gordon Cushing, 46, of 318 Tremont St., Duxbury was due in Plymouth District Court on Dec. 18, but his attorney, Jeffrey Beckerman, brought the case forward Monday, a week before the boys' team is scheduled to play its first scrimmage of the season against Falmouth High School. Cushing is also Duxbury's recreation director..
Judge Gregory Baler dismissed, over prosecutors' objections, seven counts of possession of a firearm without a Firearm Identification (FID) card, after Beckerman argued his client was never notified he had to renew his firearms license.
Firearms permits used to be permanent, but the law changed about 10 years ago to require annual renewals. The change required notification of those with permanent permits.
Baler continued without a finding for six months seven counts of improper storage of firearms. Prosecutors had asked for a guilty finding and one year of probation.
On Nov. 14, prosecutors agreed to dismiss one count of possession of a sawed-off shotgun rather than pursue the charge in Superior Court. District Court has no jurisdiction over the charge, Plymouth County District Attorney spokeswoman Bridget Norton-Middleton said.
"The gun was very old, and he has no criminal record, so we agreed to dismiss the charge and prosecute the case in District Court," she said.
Cushing told authorities the gun had belonged to his father.
Police filed the weapons charges in early September after Cushing's wife, Kristine, filed for an emergency restraining order. She accused her husband of sending her threatening text and e-mail messages.
The order required Cushing to surrender his weapons.
Police say Cushing had no permit for the weapons kept in an unlocked shed in the couple's back yard. The couple are divorcing.
Kristine Cushing submitted a letter of support for her estranged to the court during Gordon Cushing's plea hearing Monday, Norton-Middleton said.
Cushing has been the town's recreation director for 19 years. He has been Duxbury High School's head varsity basketball coach for nine seasons.
School officials have said Cushing will coach basketball this season.

http://www.patriotledger.com/homepa...Duxbury-coach-one-week-before-first-scrimmage

 

[OfficerObie59]

It's bullshit that you need any sort of permit to possess a firearm in one's home anyways, but keeping guns in an unlocked shed a damn near retarded...

 

[Tuna]

There's a compound bow license in MA now? Who would have thought...

Frank, the only permit, for a crossbow, needed in Ma. is if you're going to hunt with it. Generally givin to people incapasitated to a point where they can't draw a bow string.