40-year Haverhill court official dies (2024)

HAVERHILL —Over the past four decades, judges have come and gone from Haverhill District Court.

Prosecutors from the district attorney's office have been assigned to the court and moved on to other duties. Workers have come and gone from the court clerk's office.

But for more than 40 years, Edward Fitzgerald Jr. has been a constant there. He was face of the court as first assistant clerk magistrate.

Fitzgerald—fondly known as "Eddie Fitz" to friends and co-workers—died Jan. 23 at the Merrimack Valley Hospice House in Haverhill after a long illness.He was 72.

A member of the St. James High School Class of 1960, Fitzgerald was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having served in Vietnam. Heworked as a state auditor until he began his career at Haverhill District Court in 1974 as assistant clerk.

Through the years, he rose to first assistant clerk, a position which gave him great influence in the court.

Thousands of people walked through the door of his office over the years. As first assistant clerk magistrate, Fitzgerald was in charge of court paperwork and proceedings and also conducted "magistrate hearings" to review cases, often in the same way a judge would.

People who were charged with misdemeanor crimes such as motor vehicle violations and other crimes in which they had not been arrested but instead received a summons, could request a hearing in front of the clerk magistrate.

Fitzgerald heard most of those cases and conducted them in his office just outside the main courtroom. He also conducted other hearings involving evictions and small claims proceedings. Sometimes he'd fill in for the assistant clerk magistrate, who sits in front of the judge and oversees proceedings in the courtroom.

William Moynihan, longtime chief of probation at the court who is retired, was a long-time friend of Fitzgerald. They would talk daily.

"I started working at the courthouse in 1976 and Eddie was already there for two years," Moynihan said. "Over the years, we became good friends and co-workers. He was a mentor to me when it came to my learning about proceedings and the fundamental operations of the court system."

In a raspy voice that was unmistakable, Fitzgerald would poke his head through his office doorway and call the name of a person waiting in the hallway for a hearing.

"He was exceptionally patient and compassionate and tried to negotiate with people and their problems with the law," Moynihan said. "He was very good at handling people, calming them down, and explaining why things are like they are and what they could expect."

Moynihan said Fitzgerald was a talented mediator with a knack for resolving people's problems before they ever reached a courtroom.

Fitzgerald found humor in almost anything, and his laugh was infectious, friends said.

"Everyone liked Fitzy," Moynihan said.

"He was born and raised in the Acre, was very well known in the city and was a member of several local organizations," Moynihan said. "His passion was playing golf. Although he didn't play in the last few years, he had played on many courses across the state and the country. He particularly loved local golf courses, including the Haverhill Country Club, where he was a long-time member.

Moynihan said Fitzgerald also loved sports and was an avid Boston sports fan.

"He loved all the sports, although golf was his passion," Moynihan said.

"He helped me a lot when I became a clerk," said Ralph LaBella, assistant clerk magistrate at the Haverhill court. "Eddie was very strict in the courtroom as to the clerk doing their job the right way. He felt that the busier the courtroom was, the more of a chance there was of making a mistake. He taught me how to run a session the right way."

LaBella said Fitzgerald ran hearings for the last 10 years, always keeping an open mind and listening to both sides. He would obtain as much information as possible to make the best decision.

"If it was someone who didn't have a court history, he'd give them a break," LaBella said. "But he used to say that he'd worry about giving people a break on speeding ... He was afraid they would do it again. He'd tell them that if he saw them again, it wouldn't be the same finding. He just didn't want someone to think that if were found not responsible that they could go out and do it again.And when he talked, you listened."

LaBella said Fitzgerald was proud of the clerk's office and always wanted to make sure the right thing was done.

Clerk magistrate Doris Stanziani said Fitgerald was a loyal and trustworthy person who treated the public with the utmost respect.

"By resolving issues at the hearing stage, it not only helped the public but also contributed to a more efficient courtroom," she said. "He will be truly missed by his family at the court, as well as the community."

Calling hours will be Feb. 3from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.at the Driscoll Funeral Home, 309 South Main St., A funeral Mass will be celebrated the same day at 11 a.m. at St. James Church, 185 Winter St. U.S. Navy Honors will follow in St. James Cemetery on Primrose Street.

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