EXCLUSIVEQuaint Massachusetts town rocked by explosive Madam X 'sex scandal' involving judge and female prosecutor
A quaint Massachusetts town is embroiled in a sex scandal after a judge was accused of an affair with a much younger prosecutor by a mysterious 'Madam X.'
Former New Bedford District Court judge Douglas Darnbrough, 56, resigned from his post after he was accused in poison pen letters of carrying a romantic relationship with 31-year-old Bristol County assistant district attorney Karlyn Butler.
'They have been in an affair since the end of 2022,' said one letter by the anonymous writer, dubbed Madam X by New England radio personality Howie Carr.
'They would both go to the Carmines restaurant together on a weekly basis and then would go to a friend of hers office nearby and have sex.'
The mystery writer began sending the letters to various lawyers, officials and reporters in the fall of 2023.
'He would park his Honda Ridgeline in the lot and she would park her blue Mercedes SUV in the lot as well. Many times he would get there first and wait for her. Then they would either go inside to the building or to her friend's office to have sex.'
The mystery writer claimed 'They meet pretty much every Tuesday after court for drinks and to hang out in an office upstairs.'
'Sometimes she hangs out in his chambers after court is closed,' one letter added.
Darnbrough heard multiple cases brought by Butler. Two guilty verdicts Butler secured in cases heard by Darnbrough have now been challenged over claims the judge may have shown favoritism to his alleged prosecutor lover in how he heard the case.
Former New Bedford District Court judge Douglas Darnbrough, 56, resigned after anonymous letters accused him of having an affair with a younger prosecutor
Karlyn Butler, 31, remains employed at the Bristol County district attorney's office
A damning poison pen letter filed as part of an appeal alleging sordid sex sessions between the judge and younger prosecutor whose cases he oversaw
'They are putting themselves in the same court room whenever possible. They do dispositions [sic] together, they do bench trials together and they do jury trials together,' one letter said.
Public records show Darnbrough is married to a woman called Cheryl. When called by DailyMail.com, she refused to comment and DailyMail.com has been unable to confirm if the couple are still together.
Despite the alarming claims, Butler has reportedly said there is nothing to the anonymous letters and remained employed at the office of Bristol County district attorney Thomas Quinn, where she has worked since 2020.
While the sender of the letters remains unknown, the Bristol DA's office said in a January 29 filing that Madam X had an 'in-person confrontation' with Butler.
After the anonymous letters first surfaced, defense lawyers for two convicted men reportedly asked to see the cell phone records for the judge and Butler.
Darnbrough then mysteriously stopped appearing in court, with officials saying he was on vacation.
He was then reassigned to a court in Plymouth, where he served for three days before going on an extended leave of absence, as reported by The Public's Radio.
Darnbrough then resigned in early November, saying it was over health reasons and giving up his pension and $207,855-a-year salary.
He has since opened a private law practice.
One letter claimed the judge and prosecutor hung out in his chambers after hours
Butler, pictured with her father, has worked at the Bristol's DA office since 2020
Darnbrough stopped appearing in court shortly after the letters surfaced. He has since opened a private law practice
The Committee for Public Counsel Services asked for new trials for two men, Gerson Pascual-Santana and Jonathan Rascao, who were convicted by the prosecutor over cases presided by Dambrough.
Dambrough sentenced Pascua-Saltana to over three years in prison after he was convicted of molesting his pre-teen stepdaughter in a case tried by Butler. He denied the charges.
An attorney for the two men, Jim Mckenna, has argued those convictions should be thrown out given the alleged relationship between the judge and prosecutor.
'[Dambrough and Butler] coordinate their cases to be together in the court room,' reads an excerpt from one of the anonymous letters included a legal filing to vacate Rascao's conviction.
'They go to the candleworks restaurant after their trials and drink together and go upstairs to a room and have sex. The office room belongs to a close friend of hers.'
One of the anonymous letters pointed to a continuance request where the assistant DA drew a smiley face for the judge, writing: 'I have an older case scheduled for July trial on the same date.,,, Thank you! :)'
The ACLU, the New England Innocence Project and the Mass. Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers have taken up Pascua-Saltana's appeal.
One of the anonymous letters pointed to a continuance request where the assistant DA drew a smiley face for the judge
New Bedford is a quaint city on the Acushnet River. It is the largest city in the region
The groups have pointed to inconsistencies in how the DA's office dealt with the scandalous accusations - first denying a probe was conducted and then refusing to provide discovery for an investigation that was supposedly completed.
The civil rights group wrote that 'there is no evidence that any entity within the Commonwealth conducted any investigation into these allegations, the DA’s office’s shifting unsworn representations are no substitute for such evidence, and a remedy is therefore warranted.'
Dozens of cases may ultimately have to be retried if Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court finds Darnbrough and Butler did have an affair.
The Bristol County district attorney's office has not answered multiple requests for comment.
Judge Darnbrough hung up when reached by telephone regarding this story.
