Final charge against Selectman Jared Chadwick dismissed
Selectman Jared Chadwick stands in the courtroom on Thursday, July 9. Photos by Nick Mossman
A courtroom audience including Select Board member Judith Whiteside, center in the leftmost row, watch the proceedings.
Selectman Jared Chadwick stands in the courtroom on Thursday, July 9. Photos by Nick Mossman
A courtroom audience including Select Board member Judith Whiteside, center in the leftmost row, watch the proceedings.
The last of three felony charges filed against Selectman Jared Chadwick was dismissed on Friday, July 10.
Judge Edward Sharkansky dismissed the charge on a lack of prosecution. The case involved an accusation that Chadwick struck the buttocks of a girl in early 2019.
Friday's dismissal closes out a set of charges looming over Chadwick for the last year. All of the charges have been dropped or dismissed due to lack of prosecution.
Chadwick was accused last year of inappropriately touching two minors in 2019 and 2020 and charged with two separate felonies of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years old. Sharkansky dismissed Chadwick's other charge on Thursday morning.
Prosecutors also charged Chadwick in March with reckless endangerment of a child and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon to a child under 14 years old. Court documents detailed a videotaped 2022 incident involving Chadwick driving a car. Prosecutors claimed the case was "relevant to the character of Jared Chadwick." Those charges were dropped Thursday, June 25.
Assistant District Attorney Jordyn Carpenter said that the prosecution was not ready for Friday's scheduled trial, saying the alleged victim would not testify due to "high anxiety."
Chadwick's attorney, James Merberg, said that the defense was "ready to go" on Friday. The defense previously asked the judge on Thursday to dismiss the last open case, which he did on Friday.
After the dismissal, Chadwick said the allegations were made by two of his relatives.
"I'm not sure why they made these allegations, and we may never know, but I still care for them and will not go any further into this to maintain their privacy out of respect," Chadwick said.
Chadwick was first elected to the Wareham Select Board in 2022 and was reelected in 2025. He said he did not plan to run again in 2028 when his term ends, a decision made before the allegations came out. Chadwick said he planned to continue his work on the board for the remaining two years of his current term.
"I will still fully support the children and this community," Chadwick said. In his statement, Chadwick added that he was severely bullied as a child and believes that no child should have to go through bullying.
Chadwick described the cases and court processes, which lasted nearly a year, as "possibly the worst time" in his life.
