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Above, around 2:30 pm on Friday, defendant James N. Blanchard was escorted into Court Room 25 at the Norfolk Superior Court by an officer. (Observer photo)
A tragic crash on Franklin's Grove Street last spring returned to the headlines Friday, when James N. Blanchard, 22, appeared in Norfolk Superior Court to plead not guilty to charges connected with the deaths of a young girl and her mother.
Nor was the defendant's family spared. A couple apparently there for his arraignment, arrive several minutes before the session was scheduled to begin; the male looking stoic and the female quietly sobbing during the entire process.
There were several other matters dealt with by the court prior to Blanchard's arraignment. Blanchard, showing little emotion was brought in by a court officer.
Prosecutors allege that on May 24, Blanchard was intoxicated when his pickup truck veered across the center line on Grove Street and collided with another car traveling on the opposite side of the road. Krisha Patel, age 5, was pronounced dead that day; her mother, Minaben Patel, 38, succumbed to her injuries several days later. A memorial service in June drew hundreds of mourners from Franklin’s close-knit community, still shaken by the loss.
Blanchard faces two counts of manslaughter while operating under the influence of liquor and one count of operating under the influence causing serious bodily injury. He had previously been arraigned in Wrentham District Court, where his bail was set at $250,000. Superior Court Judge Peter Krupp on Friday left that amount unchanged.
If released on bail, Blanchard must abstain from alcohol, undergo random testing, and is barred from driving while the case proceeds. His attorney, Timothy Flaherty, concurred. The prosecution team said they have shared "discovery" information with Flaherty with the exception of the final accident reconstruction report, which is not complete but is expected to be in a matter of weeks.
Blanchard is scheduled to return to court on December 22 for a pretrial conference—a date that promises another difficult chapter in a case that has already left deep scars on the Franklin community. It did not appear that any of the victim's family were present in the court room.
Blanchard again showed little emotion and was quickly escorted from the courtroom.
Above, flanked by his attorney, Timothy Flaherty,
Blanchard stood during his arraignment.
