Bryon Hefner, the husband of former State Senate President Stan Rosenberg, pleaded not guilty to multiple charges in Suffolk Superior Court today, including five counts of indecent assault and battery, four counts of unlawfully disseminating a secretly obtained image of a nude or partially nude person, and one count of open and gross lewdness.
Before the arraignment, Hefner sat impassively on a courtroom bench, flanked by several members of the media. Among them: Boston Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham, whose reporting on Hefner’s alleged misconduct led to Rosenberg’s exit as Senate president.
After Judge Lisa Medeiros scheduled the beginning of his trial for March 25, 2019, Hefner was released on his own recognizance. He agreed to avoid contact with his four alleged victims, to stay away from the Massachusetts State House grounds, and to not communicate with the witnesses who testified before the grand jury that indicted him, with the exception of two witnesses who were not identified.
As he exited the courtroom, Hefner and his attorney, Tracy Miner, declined to speak to the media. Instead, Miner distributed a printed statement which read: “Mr. Hefner Rosenberg has pled not guilty to the charges and looks forward to defending himself in a court of law where accusers cannot remain anonymous and must face cross-examination. Unfortunately, he has already been pilloried in the press for political purposes, having never had a trial.”
Hefner’s indictment comes amid reports that the Massachusetts State Senate, which is investigating whether Hefner used his relationship with Rosenberg to influence political matters in the State House, is close to completing that inquiry.
A pretrial hearing in Hefner’s case is scheduled for June 13, 2018.
Statements Regarding Bryon Hefner's Indictment and Arraignment by wgbhnews on Scribd
This post has been updated.
