LOWELL — Embattled City Councilor Corey Robinson continued to push back on calls by political colleagues, community members and residents to either step aside or resign his council seat while facing two charges of domestic assault and battery on his on-again/off-again girlfriend.
The Centralville district representative posted two motions to Tuesday night’s agenda, one week after the five motions he had on last week’s agenda were unceremoniously tabled by a majority of his elected peers who had previously called for him to “step aside.”
A motion to table is not debatable, and postpones discussion until a later time.
The alleged criminal incident took place at the victim’s residence in Dracut, during which Robinson is alleged to have hit, chased, strangled and pulled out the victim’s hair on Nov. 15. He was arraigned in Lowell District Court on Nov. 16.
Judge Michael Fabbri ordered Robinson fitted with a GPS ankle bracelet, surrender his passport and issued a series of other restrictive conditions including to stay away from the alleged victim pending his Jan. 10 pretrial court date.
Prior to that alleged assault, the victim and Robinson made multiple police calls against one another including on the morning of Oct. 29, when Robinson called Lowell Police regarding an intruder on his property. He told responding officers that he believed the unidentified male trespasser involved his ex-girlfriend, whom he alleged was involved in prostitution.
According to the police report, Robinson told responding officers that “… he stated that he told her that she should not be getting involved in prostitution and that she needs to clean up her act.”
The unprecedented evolving situation — no sitting city councilor has ever been arrested, much less come to council chambers wearing a tracking device — has thrown protocol and procedures into disarray just weeks before the new council is sworn in for its two-year term.
Court audio obtained by The Sun deepened the complexity of Robinson’s ongoing personal issues that have reverberated across the city’s political operations.
During an Oct. 30 hearing in Judge Stephen Geary’s courtroom, the alleged victim’s lawyer told the court that Robinson asked her to come to his house the night she was arrested for disorderly conduct.
“This is a situation where she was actually summoned to that area by her ex-boyfriend and she expressed to the police that she was concerned for his wellbeing,” attorney Patrick Murphy said. “It’s my information that he actually pleaded with the police not to arrest her.”
Geary ordered the alleged victim released pending her December court date, with conditions.
“Ma’am, you are to stay away from 5 W. 10th St., even if Mr. Robinson invites you over there,” Geary said. “The Court’s not allowing you go over regardless of what he says. This order trumps whatever he requests.”
The alleged victim was released on her own recognizance pending a return court date on Dec. 20. Fifteen days after the October incident, Robinson allegedly assaulted the woman at her Dracut home.
Robinson has declined to speak with the Sun, texting a reporter to “Please leave me alone.” Following U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan’s Dec. 2 statement calling for him to “step aside,” describing the charges as “extremely disturbing” and the police report details “excruciating to read,” Robinson issued a statement that the case against him was built on “false allegations,” and suggested the congresswoman’s staff had ulterior motives behind the request for him to step aside.
Through his criminal defense attorney Ryan Sullivan, Robinson said by text that “It is also disheartening to see our mayor’s wife works for this office and we hope local political motives in a quest for higher office aren’t playing in the background. I only wish the judicial process were quicker to provide proof of my innocence.”
Robinson has a history with the judicial system, including a record of assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, according to court records. The incidents, according to the file, took place 25-plus years ago. Robinson is 46 years old.
According to court documents, a different woman, not the alleged victim, had previously sought an abuse prevention order against Robinson 10 years ago.
A Change.org petition with 123 signatures, calls on Robinson to resign. And at the Dec. 5 council meeting, more than 50 people crowded the chamber in support of a statement calling for him to resign his seat. The protesters were clad in black to signal their solidarity against Robinson’s continued presence on the council.
Also on Tuesday, Alternative House, a Lowell-based nonprofit that offers access to shelter, support, children’s programming, legal, housing and community advocacy for all victims of domestic violence, released a statement that said, “Domestic violence is a public health crisis and cannot be tolerated under any circ*mstances.”
The City Council meets in the second-floor chambers of City Hall, 375 Merrimack St. on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. To speak at a meeting, contact City Clerk Michael Geary before 4 p.m. the day of the meeting at 978-674-4161 or mgeary@lowellma.gov.
