A Question of Justice: The 650-Pound Sentencing Decision

 

Content Note: This account concerns events from the more recent past and includes subject matter that may be distressing to some readers.

 

 — A Southwick Time Machine Original | Courtroom Controversy

 

On July 7, 1983, Ralph Ward Rice Jr. of Southwick, Massachusetts, appeared before Judge George Cregan Keady Jr. in Hampden County Superior Court in Springfield to answer charges of incest and rape of a child by force.

The charges reportedly involved Rice's then-12-year-old daughter.

Judge George Cregan Keady Jr.

According to prosecutors, the crimes occurred between June 21 and September 7, 1981. An investigation by the Hampden County District Attorney's Office eventually led to grand jury indictments against Rice in March 1983. He was arrested and charged with two counts each of incest and rape of a child by force.

By 1982, the Commonwealth had removed Rice's six children, five daughters and one son, from their “trailer park home” on Hillside Road in Southwick and “placed” them in foster homes.

Records also indicate that Rice reportedly married Ina L. (Ives) Pixley on March 20, 1983, approximately four months before he appeared in court on July 7.

After jury selection had begun for the 16 jurors and four alternates, Rice's lawyer entered an “Alford” plea, allowing him to be sentenced while maintaining his innocence. In accepting the plea, which effectively ended the trial before opening statements or any testimony could be heard, Judge Keady stated, “The court assumes the facts to be true, as after a jury verdict.”

Judge Keady initially sentenced Rice to two concurrent terms of 8 to 10 years at Cedar Junction State Prison in Walpole, Massachusetts.

However, he suspended both sentences and placed Rice on three years’ probation.

As part of the probation, Judge Keady ordered Rice to receive psychiatric treatment for sexual disorders. He was also prohibited from having contact with any of his children.

Judge Keady said he considered the emotional health of the victim after reviewing all of the evidence presented during the proceedings, including some information that was not made public. He said he felt that she should not be put through the trauma of a trial.

The judge later acknowledged another factor that influenced his decision: Rice’s extreme obesity.

At the time of sentencing, Rice weighed approximately 650 pounds and had a condition known as obesity hypoventilation syndrome, which causes severe breathing problems and greatly shortens life expectancy. It was stated that Rice required daily oxygen and that doctors believed his life expectancy was no more than five years.

 

Press Lasercopy Wire Showing Ralph Rice Jr. in court on July 7, 1983

Citing the circumstances surrounding the case, the defense attorney and the prosecutor both recommended the suspended sentence to Judge Keady, who said that keeping Rice incarcerated would create logistical difficulties because Rice would require oxygen while in prison.

In agreeing with the suspended sentence, Judge Keady said, “This has the great disadvantage of sending the wrong message out to the community.”

He stressed, “This is not a policy the court is going to adopt.”

The decision immediately drew widespread criticism. Although Judge Keady acknowledged that it would "send the wrong message out to the community," he may not have anticipated the intensity of the public reaction that followed.

Fueled by public discussion, news of the ruling spread quickly across New England and beyond. Critics argued that the cost and difficulty of incarceration should not influence punishment for such a serious crime.

The case became part of a much larger national debate about whether medical conditions should influence punishment for serious crimes.

Judge Keady defended his ruling, maintaining that his decision was based on the specific circumstances before him and was not intended to establish a policy that medical conditions should prevent incarceration for serious crimes.

But many people felt the suspended sentence sent exactly the wrong message. 

Protests Outside the Courthouse

On July 11, 1983, approximately 75 women gathered outside the Hampden County Hall of Justice in Springfield to protest the decision.

Many carried signs bearing messages such as:

“Jail the rapist”

and

“Justice for the victim”

The protesters chanted:

“Probation won’t suffice; a prison term for Mr. Rice.”

The demonstrations continued on July 21 and August 6.

A petition opposing the sentence collected more than 230 signatures. It stated that the decision “trivializes all crime against women” and also said:

“It tells women that their bodies are property of men.”

When the protesters disbanded around 12:30 p.m., Judge Keady allowed several of them to enter his chambers. Inside, three protesters presented him with a petition that he personally accepted. The petition, containing more than 100 signatures, called the sentence “deplorable.”

Judge Keady later said that he “would not act on the petitions” and would stand by his initial sentence. In a stern tone about his unpopular decision, he added, “this is what I get paid to do and the buck stops here.”  

Protesters in front of the Hampden County Hall of Justice in Springfield, Massachusetts

 

One protester summarized the anger felt by many who opposed the decision:

“It’s one kind of terror…to be raped by a man of normal size. It is a horror of a different sort to be ravaged by a 650-pound behemoth, who is also her parent.”

“People Were Not Present at the Plea”

When questioned by reporters on July 11, Judge Keady defended his controversial decision and reiterated that he would not change the sentence unless new evidence emerged.

He declined to discuss details of the case that had not been made public but said some protesters did not have all of the information considered by the court.

“I think that people are protesting because they weren’t present at the plea and disposition,” Keady said.

He acknowledged the opposition to his ruling, saying in part:

“I note that there are a lot of people who don’t approve of what I’ve done. I think these ladies [protesters] are very sincere.”

Judge Keady maintained that his decision was based on the information presented during the proceedings, including evidence that was not released publicly.

At one point following the sentencing, Judge Keady remarked:

“I believe he is in his own jail.”

Spokesmen for some of the protesting groups said they understood the plight of the young victim who would have had to testify against her father at trial.

But other groups had a different view.

The president of the Hotline to End Rape and Abuse said at the time of the verdict that “Every woman and child should be able to choose whether they want their case prosecuted through the court system. It is traumatic for the victims to testify, but that’s no reason to throw the cases out…”

A Southwick Community Reacts

The controversy remained a hot topic of discussion. It made Southwick a household name when it was thrust into the national debate.

At Salmon Brook Restaurant and Coffee Shop in Southwick Center, resident George L. Berman of Ham Hill Road expressed his disagreement with the ruling.

Mr. Berman questioned whether a serious medical condition should influence punishment for a serious crime.

“…this means someone who is terminally ill and has cancer can go out and kill somebody” and expect a suspended sentence, he said.

The case became part of a much larger debate over victims’ rights, judicial discretion, and whether medical conditions should affect criminal sentences.

Mr. George L. Berman circa 1969

 

The Years Around the Case

Ralph Ward Rice Jr. was born in Westfield, Massachusetts, on December 14, 1950. His father, Ralph Sr., was arrested by Massachusetts State Police that evening on an outstanding warrant.

The Rice family moved around quite a bit. Ralph also had a history of trouble with the law in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Between 1967 and 1975, he was arrested at least nine times; many of the offenses involved breach of peace and disorderly conduct charges.

Rice was also arrested in Torrington, Connecticut, in 1968 for lascivious carriage, a term then used under Connecticut law involving sexual relations between unmarried individuals.

Ralph Ward Rice Jr. died on October 9, 1985, at the age of 34. He died at the University of Connecticut Medical Center in Farmington, Connecticut. His official death certificate lists his occupation as “performer.”

On Friday, December 13, 1985, Judge George Keady, who presided over the controversial sentencing, formally terminated Ralph Rice Jr.'s probation. Keady continued serving as a Massachusetts judge until retiring in 1993. From 1993 to 2007, he worked as a freelance mediator.

Salmon Brook customer George L. Berman, the Southwick resident who questioned the sentence, was among the 357 Southwick residents whose names were engraved on the town's war memorial. The memorial was unveiled on Veterans Day 1985 and recognized those who served during the state-recognized Vietnam War Era, February 1, 1955, through May 7, 1975.

He had served in the United States Army in Vietnam.

George Leo Berman died at his Springfield home on October 25, 2016, after a long, courageous battle with cancer. 

Mr. Berman was 64 years old.

Judge George Cregan Keady Jr. passed away peacefully at his home on July 10, 2019. 

He was 95 years old.

More than four decades later, the case continues to be remembered as one of the region's most controversial sentencing decisions of the 1980s.

— Researched and preserved by the Southwick Time Machine

Judge George Cregan Keady Jr.

June 16, 1924 — July 10, 2019 

 

 

Mr. George Leo Berman

June 3, 1952 — October 25, 2016 

 

This article is based on original primary-source research, including official records and documents, census data, period newspapers, directories, and news media reports/videos, and various legal case studies.

 

Southwick Time Machine stories are living documents. Research is ongoing, and this account may evolve as new information comes to light.

 

Photographs accompanying this story are authentic, unless otherwise noted. In keeping with historical preservation standards, some of the images may have been digitally enhanced for clarity and detail, without altering the original subjects. 

 

 

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The Night Ralph Jr. Was Born

On December 14, 1950, the same day Ralph Ward Rice Jr. was born, his father, Ralph Ward Rice Sr. of Southwick, was riding as a passenger in a car driven by his Hillside Road neighbor, Walter Williams. That evening, the two men were involved in a property damage accident on Mill Street at Crane Avenue in neighboring Westfield.

Local police arrived at the scene and began investigating the accident. Williams was subsequently arrested.

Once they learned Ralph’s identity, they discovered that he was wanted on an outstanding warrant. They detained him until Massachusetts State Police arrived and arrested him on a charge of assault and battery involving Adeline Williams.

At their arraignment on December 15, Williams pleaded not guilty to charges of possession, operating a vehicle with faulty equipment (no brakes), and failing to keep to the right when meeting oncoming traffic.

Ralph pleaded guilty and was fined $20, with payment suspended until December 30, 1950.

It is unclear whether Walter Williams and Adeline Williams were related, but she had several charges over the years that included drunkenness, assault, and assault with a dangerous weapon.

Two notable arrests were for assaults.

The first occurred one Thanksgiving Day, when she intentionally struck her neighbor in the head with a baseball bat inside the tenement housing building where they lived. When officers attempted to arrest her, she repeatedly bit one officer’s hands so bad that he needed medical attention.

In another incident, she punched a gentleman wearing glasses in the face. The attack occurred without any provocation at a Westfield gasoline station.

 

 

Author's Note: 

Researching historical stories often uncovers details that do not always fit into the main narrative but still help provide a fuller picture of the people, places, events, time period, and circumstances involved.

The following notes include additional findings, background information, and areas where the historical record remains incomplete. 

I love details, and I encourage readers to explore the Edited Out/Author’s Additional Research Notes section included with many Southwick Time Machine stories. These notes often include additional discoveries, histories, and interesting information that may not have been included in the main story but help provide a deeper understanding of the past, including unexpected connections uncovered during the research process.

                   — Ross 

Edited Out/Author's Additional Research Notes

 

Ralph Ward Rice Sr.: May 10, 1927 – September 2, 1995.

(Discrepancy - Ralph Sr.: b. May 10, 1926 - September 3, 1995) 

Leona Cora (Phillips) Rice: February 7, 1929 – November 4, 1991. 

Ralph Ward Rice Jr.: December 14, 1950 - October 9, 1985.

Merritt Rice: March 16, 1945 -

Ina L. (Ives) (Pixley) Rice: March 27, 1939 –

Joyce M. Rice: c. 1949 - Unknown

Rice Jr. was born in Westfield, Massachusetts.

By the time of the 1983 case, Rice was living in the Hillside section of Southwick.

The Rice family moved around quite a bit. There are multiple addresses connected to the family, including 134 Hillside Road in Southwick. (The street numbers have since changed)

Addresses include: 101 Hillside Road, Southwick; 80 Gay Street, Winsted, Connecticut;

Reports state that sixteen jurors and four alternates were selected before the trial proceedings ended with the plea. One source said that jury selection was to start on July 7, 1983. Another source said it had started.

Some sources say that jury selection started on July 6.

The petition handed to the judge had 103 or 104 signatures on it. 

Rice was reportedly receiving welfare benefits because he was unable to work due to his obesity.

Ina Ives was married to Alfred J. Pixley Jr. The couple wed in North Canaan, Connecticut, on January 9, 1957.

Ina was granted a divorce from Alfred in June 1967.

Ralph Jr. was friends with the Pixley family kids. He was arrested with Alfred Pixley on at least one occasion.

Ralph Jr. reportedly married Ina L. (Ives) Pixley on March 20, 1983. Whether the timing of the marriage had any legal significance could not be determined.

Ina’s arrest record includes larceny. 

During Rice's trial, his lawyer told the judge, "At 32, he cuts a pathetic figure." 

Mr. George L. Berman's name appears on the war monument in Southwick Center.  Original addition.

Mr. Berman's obituary includes wrong information.  

Mr. Berman worked in sales. Later moved to Springfield. Remarried. Interesting love story/sad.

Ralph Sr. and his sister were sent to an orphanage (William L. Gilbert Home for Friendless Children in Winsted)

The Gilbert Home: 1889 - 1955. It closed primarily because the State of Connecticut decided homeless and displaced children would be better off in foster homes.

The Gilbert Home was named in honor of William Lewis Gilbert, who became a wealthy industrialist in the 1800s.

William L. Gilbert was said to be a miser and skinflint. His fortune was built manufacturing clocks as part of the Gilbert Clock Company. His business rapidly expanded - as did his wealth.

About two weeks before Christmas 1885, Mr. Gilbert shocked folks when he announced that he would build a home for displaced children. The Gilbert orphanage opened on April 1, 1889. Mr. Gilbert died the following year.

Mr. Gilbert got his start in the clock-making business around 1828, when he and his brother-in-law purchased a small clock business. He partnered with various people over the years, and as a result, the business changed names several times. He ended up owning the company outright about 1845. However, he didn’t start the Gilbert Clock Company until 1871. That year, a massive fire destroyed part of the plant of his Gilbert Manufacturing Company. He quickly rebuilt and opened it as the William L. Gilbert Clock Company. The company stopped production in 1969 (attributed to a combination of foreign competition and the rise of electronics and quartz).

The old Gilbert Clock Company factory still stands in Winsted, Connecticut. (The one rebuilt after the fire)

The Gilbert Clock Company has a fascinating history. Fans of the STM are encouraged to explore more about it on their own.

Gilbert made a variety of clocks and clock cases. Surviving models are mainly the more popular types, such as gothic steeple clocks, kitchen gingerbread clocks, and regulators in columned tambour and crystal styles.

Today, a vintage Gilbert mantle clock in good working condition can fetch between $200 and $400. Gilbert kitchen clocks in similar condition appear to be in the same range.

Assistant District Attorney William Teahan, who recommended the suspended sentence, later said that criticism of Judge Keady was mostly unfair because the judge adopted the joint recommendation of the attorneys.

Teahan also said that factors involving the victim and her safety influenced the recommendation, but details were not released because of her age.

Cedar Junction State Prison in Walpole, Massachusetts, was a maximum-security men’s prison. When it opened in 1955, it was known as Walpole State Prison.

Following his retirement in 1993, Judge Keady was a freelance mediator and arbiter.

The Springfield chapter of the National Organization for Women, the Hotline to End Rape and Abuse, and several shelters for battered women participated in protests outside the Hampden County Hall of Justice.

Ralph Rice Sr. once worked as a press operator in Winsted, Connecticut.

The Washington Legal Foundation considered filing a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct against Judge Keady. However, after a thorough review of the case, they determined that Keady had considered all evidence and information before handing down his controversial sentence.

Several members of the Rice family had encounters with law enforcement over the years, including Ralph Rice Jr.’s sister, brother, and their father.

Ralph Jr.’s parental grandfather  may or may not have been arrested for robbing the hennery of a woman in Winsted, Connecticut, in the 1920s.

Ralph Jr.’s sister had multiple run-ins with the law. She was about 16 when she was arrested for shoplifting on January 14, 1967. She stole cosmetics and clothing valued at $13.

Following Rice Jr.’s death, Assistant District Attorney William Teahan, who had also recommended the suspended sentence, said that he felt that the intense criticism against Judge Keady was mostly unfair because the judge adopted the joint recommendation.

Teahan also said at the time that he recommended the sentence because of a combination of personal factors that involved the underage victim; because of her age, they were not made public. The victim's safety was another contributing factor.

It’s unclear what pushback the district attorney’s office received from the public, but it was nothing like what the judge faced. However, Teahan stated that this was a unique case and it in no way reflected the policy of the district attorney’s office when it comes to prosecuting rape and incest cases.

An opinion piece read: “If he (Rice) was physically able to rape, then he’s physically able to suffer the consequences of his crime.”

Ina (Ives) Pixley was arrested for adultery in 1961. Alfred Pixley Jr. was also arrested for adultery, as was another man. Ina was also charged with lewd and lascivious behavior, but the charge was later dropped. It appears that Ina was arrested twice for adultery in 1961. She pleaded guilty the first time and not guilty the second time.

It appears that Ina and Alfred separated around the time of their adultery arrests.

On August 2, 1963, Ina found her and Alfred’s two-year-old son, Michael Todd Pixley, floating face down in a lake. Michael had been playing with several children at a beach on the lake. Ina’s parents ran the beach and the picnic area.

Alfred Pixley racked up many speeding tickets. By the middle of July 1959, he had five speeding tickets within the past year.

The Commonwealth announced that it was bypassing parental consent (Ralph and Ida) in the adoption of at least two of the girls in the mid-1980s.

Rice’s case came on the heels of Joseph “Jo Jo” Giorgianni of Trenton, New Jersey. He weighed more than 550 pounds when he was convicted in 1980 of carnally abusing and debauching the morals of a 14-year-old girl in his sandwich shop (Jo-Jo’s appears to have been a rundown/dive sandwich shop that was known for its steak sandwiches). (He raped her in 1978) He was jailed in August 1982, but gained freedom after arguing that his asthma would be aggravated in jail. He was sent back to jail after massive public outcry and evidence showing Giorgianni smoking a cigar at a boxing match. He got out of prison again in 1985 - about 100 pounds lighter.

Jo-Jo had lots of legal problems and lawsuits.

Ralph Ward Rice Jr.

There were numerous police reports and court records all believed to be connected to Ralph Rice Jr. This is only a partial list. 

October 27, 1967 — Ralph Rice Jr. and another man were apprehended by the local police in Torrington, Connecticut, after allegedly tampering with a motor vehicle. Both men were released on a $25 bond pending a court appearance on November 13.

July 1969 — Rice was charged with operating a motor vehicle with defective brakes following an automobile accident.

1972 — Rice was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief in the third degree.

August 11, 1972 — Rice was charged with first-degree assault.

1973 — As part of a plea agreement, Rice pleaded guilty to a substituted charge of breach of peace.

1974 — Charges of breach of peace, assault, and criminal mischief were dropped against Rice after the State of Connecticut declined to prosecute his case.

1974 — Rice was charged with third-degree assault, breach of peace, and criminal mischief after he and two others allegedly pushed around employees of Connecticut Amusement Supply Co., Inc.

May 22, 1974 — Rice and two others were arrested at 11:55 p.m. and charged with breach of peace.

1975 — Rice was arrested for first-degree criminal trespass. He was fined $20. Rice was arrested along with his brother, Merritt Rice, and Alfred Pixley after a disturbance at about 7:30 p.m. at the Gasland Service Station in Torrington, Connecticut, on February 19. At about 9:00 that evening, a disturbance erupted inside police headquarters that resulted in the arrest of Ralph Sr., who was charged with breach of peace and resisting arrest. It also resulted in an additional breach of peace charge for Merritt as well as a charge of interfering with a police officer. Ralph Sr. was found guilty of breach of peace and ordered to pay $150. The state decided not to prosecute either man for resisting arrest. (Alfred Pixley had multiple arrests over the years, including larceny, failure to pay child support, and morals charges)

Ralph Ward Rice Sr.

There were numerous police reports and court records all believed to be connected to Ralph Rice Sr. This is only a partial list. 

December 1950 — Rice was charged with assault and battery. He was found guilty and fined $20. The court gave him until March 1951 to pay the fine or face jail time.

March 1951 — After the fine went unpaid, a warrant was issued for Rice’s arrest.

September 16, 1952 — Rice was arrested on the outstanding warrant issued in March 1951 for the parole violation stemming from his failure to pay the $20 fine from the December 1950 assault and battery case. Police located him thanks to a court appearance in Great Barrington for motor vehicle violations. When he appeared in Westfield District Court the next day, a deal was reached where Rice paid $15 (the court remitted $5).  

1960 — Rice was arrested for intoxication and confined in the Town Hall cell block pending his appearance in town court.

1962 — Rice was arrested for breach of peace.

Late 1965 — A Ralph Rice, believed to be Ralph Rice Sr., was reportedly charged in Connecticut with obtaining unemployment compensation by false statements. In addition to making restitution, he was placed on probation for six months.

January 1968 — Rice was sentenced to 60 days in jail for larceny. The sentence was suspended, and he was placed on probation for one year.

March 1968 — Police in Torrington, Connecticut, charged Rice with breach of peace after he allegedly created a disturbance in his home.

1973 — Rice was again charged following another reported disturbance at his residence.

1974 — In November, police arrested Rice at 1:30 a.m. for disorderly conduct. He was released on a written promise to appear.  

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