Mass. High Court Weighs Turner Removal

The state's highest court is deciding whether former Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner was illegally removed from office and deserves $11,000 in back pay.

Turner's attorney opened Monday with a bold assertion: "The Boston City Council does not have the authority to remove one of its members."

Attorney Chester Darling told the Supreme Judicial Court that there's nothing in the City Charter that allowed councilors to vote Turner out after he was convicted but before he was sentenced to prison.

Afterward, Darling blamed the city's lawyer for giving the council bad advice.

"The City Council was misled," Darling said. "I don't blame them."

The attorney representing Boston city councilors argues their power to remove Turner is inherent.

In 2010, Turner was found guilty of accepting a bribe and lying to authorities.