Springfield Sci-Tech shooting trial stalls, defendant’s father held in contempt
SPRINGFIELD — A father and son duo sat facing each other in the courtroom, and the elder man refused to raise his right hand.
"My client will not speak and will not swear in, your honor," said attorney Erin O'Connor, the Springfield attorney representing Dana Dudley, 45.
Dudley was charged in connection with a shooting at the High School of Science and Technology , known as Sci-Tech, in March 2024. According to court records, he organized a confrontation, in which his son, Chantz Dudley, 21, allegedly pistol-whipped a schoolmate of a family member and fired a round inside the school during the assault.
No one was shot, but the bullet went through a window inside the school. Administrators said Dudley forced his way into the school when a security guard open a door.
The older Dudley had carried a knife to the school, records say.
Chantz Dudley's trial was set to start Friday morning. Instead, Dana Dudley, who was granted immunity as a witness for the commonwealth, was held in contempt of the court after he changed his mind about testifying.
Judge William J. Ritter, presiding over the courtroom, ordered Dana Dudley to take the oath to testify.
When he didn't, Tom Prendergast, assistant district attorney for the commonwealth, said, "The witness is immunized, your honor. There is no reason for him not to testify. The witness is obstructing justice."
Dana Dudley, 45, declined to speak against his son on Friday morning in courtroom 3 at Hampden Superior Court. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
As a result of being held in contempt, the trial for Chantz Dudley was postponed until November. The 15 jurors selected for trial were released, and Dana Dudley was jailed, pending his next court date on Oct. 23.
Dan Kelly, Chantz Dudley's defense attorney, requested his client be released on his own recognizance.
"There is no other evidence identifying Chantz except for the fact that Dana identified him," Kelly told the judge. "He's never gotten out."
Chantz Dudley sat next to Kelly wearing a black button-down shirt and black jeans. He wore orange handcuffs, and his hands were folded in his lap.
Kelly said the commonwealth knew that Dana Dudley might not testify against his son and continue to make motions for the trial to be pushed off.
Chantz Dudley was arraigned last July. "He has been held 441 days since his arraignment," said Kelly. In Massachusetts, defendants must be tried within 12 months of their arraignment.
Kelly said his client is only 21 and doesn't have the money to post bail on his own. He also said his client could check in with a probation officer at least once a week.
If released on his own recognizance, Kelly said the defendant would stay with his mother — who was present in the courtroom. Kelly also asked that, in the meantime, Ritter endorse Chantz Dudley to be moved to Hampden County from Essex County, where he is being held.
Chantz Dudley, 21, of Chicopee, is represented by attorney Dan Kelly on Friday in Hampden Superior Court. Police say that, in 2024, Dudley pistol-whipped a schoolmate of a family member and fired a round inside the school as a result. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
"His dad is being held in Hampden County, and he was shipped off to Essex County, over two hours away," said Kelly. "He's been held in 'the hole' for 23 hours a day. It's extremely restrictive."
More restrictive, he noted, than any other pretrial detainee, and for someone who doesn't have a "significant history or any prior convictions."
Prendergast requested that Chantz Dudley be given a $50,000 bail, wear a GPS tracking monitor, and stay away from all of the witnesses except his sister.
"He assaulted and pistol-whipped a student. It's only by luck or by grace that the gun discharged through the window and not into a student," said Prendergast.
Judge William J. Ritter presides over a case in which Chantz Dudley, 21, of Chicopee, allegedly pistol-whipped a schoolmate of a family member and fired a round inside the school as a result. His father, Dana Dudley, 45, also was charged in the case, because he organized the confrontation, according to court records. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
Ritter ultimately ordered that Chantz Dudley post a $2,500 bail, and he approved the stay away orders, including that Dudley stay away from Sci-Tech.
Chantz Dudley's trial is scheduled to start on Nov. 4.
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