NEW BEDFORD — Ward 3 City Councilor Hugh Dunn’s bench trial for three charges, including OUI, has been scheduled for March 22 after Dunn appeared in New Bedford District Court on Tuesday for a pretrial hearing. 

In Massachusetts, defendants in criminal cases have the right to decide whether to have a jury trial or a bench trial — the latter in which a judge hears evidence and testimony before deciding the case without a jury.

Dunn was arraigned on three charges in court in early November: operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, leaving the scene of property damage and operating a motor vehicle negligently following a car crash on May 1, 2021, in downtown New Bedford.

A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf during his arraignment, the Standard-Times reported.

Attorney Tim Walsh is representing Dunn. Daniel Bennett is the state-appointed prosecutor for the case. 

Dunn has been serving as Ward 3 city councilor since the crash, and was re-elected in fall of 2021 after running unopposed. He was first elected to City Council in 2017.
Email Anastasia Lennon at alennon@newbedfordlight.org.

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