Blanchard Has Pretrial Hearing Postponed

Above, Judge Peter Krupp at Norfolk Superior Court on Monday.

As recently as Friday afternoon, everything appeared set for James N. Blanchard, 22 of Franklin to again appear in Norfolk Superior Court for a pretrial conference. Blanchard faces a number of charges connected to a crash on Franklin's Grove Street last spring that killed a young girl and her mother.

However, on Monday afternoon, Blanchard's legal team sought and was granted a continuance by Judge Peter Krupp. Blanchaard himself did not appear.

Prosecutors say 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. The other occupant of the car received only minor injuries.

When he was arraigned on Friday, Oct. 22, Blanchard pled not guilty to 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.