Politics & Government

Terms Set For Home Confinement of Wife in Child Sex Abuse Case

Marian Burbine made court appearance Thursday morning, with next one set for Feb. 13.

Marian Burbine made a short court appearance on Thursday morning, largely to set the terms of her ongoing home confinement in connection with the child sex abuse case against her husband.

Burbine and her husband operated the former Waterfall Education Center in downtown Wakefield, and also offered tutoring and daycare services that would reportedly often take place at the children's homes. Her husband had been classified a Level 1 sex offender back in 1989, which has touched off a separate legislative debate over how to reform the current system used to share information on sex offenders.

At least one Burbine's victims is from Newton, according to the District Attorney's Office. 

Under the terms agreed to in court, Burbine, 46, is free to leave her home for 90 minutes each day between Monday and Friday at a set time to attend to various needs. She is to remain at home on Saturdays, and on Sundays she is permitted to attend religious services, also at a set time.

Her next expected court appearance is on Feb. 13, when the next presumed step for the defense would be a motion to dismiss. In total, she is charged with six counts of reckless endangerment of a child and two counts of operating an illegal day care business.

Find out what's happening in Newtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Burbine sat quietly in court during the appearance and left Middlesex Superior Court without speaking to gathered media. Her attorney, John Ruehrwein, declined to answer questions about his client's activities, state of mind, or whether she has had any contact at all with her husband. "I'm not going to discuss my client's business," the Wakefield attorney told reporters.

Ruehrwein also emphasized that at this early point in the legal process, the expected motion to dismiss is largely just a routine step. "It's just a date at this point, it's too early to tell," said the attorney.

Related stories:

Find out what's happening in Newtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • At Least 1 Newton Child Among Victims of Alleged Sex Crimes at Wakefield Day Care
  • TELL US: Should Level 1 Sex Offender Information Be Public?
  • Speaker to Revisit Bill to Publicize Sex Offenders
  • Burbine Pleads Not Guilty to 100 Counts of Child Sex Abuse
  • Senate GOP Plans Comprehensive Sex Offender Legislation


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