James Marzilli

BOSTON - Moments after state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson's resignation letter was read in the Senate chamber Wednesday, state Senate President Therese Murray said the Senate is emerging from a trying time.

"The shadow is lifting, and in time, hopefully not too long from now, the good work of the Senate and our commitment to the people will once again be the focus of all inquiry and conversation," Murray, a Plymouth Democrat, said.

Wilkerson's resignation is the second to hit the Senate in less than a week. Jim Marzilli, an Arlington Democrat, stepped down last Friday  after details of a trip to Berlin, Germany, in October emerged. Marzilli is currently facing multiple counts of sexual harassment.

UPDATED: Jim Marzilli's lawyer said Monday that the embattled state senator's resignation on Friday was completely independent from and will have no bearing on his legal proceedings.

"His resignation has nothing to do with legal case," Terrence Kennedy, Marzilli's lawyer, told PolitickerMA.com. "One has nothing to do with the other at all."

Marzilli, an Arlington Democrat, currently faces multiple counts of sexual harassment. His resignation on Friday came on the heels of details of an October trip to Berlin, Germany, for an environmental forum emerging.

Jim Marzilli has resigned from the state Senate, according to Senate President Therese Murray's office.

In a letter to Murray, Marzilli, an Arlington Democrat, stated: "I hereby offer my resignation, effective at 5 P.M. on Friday, November 14."

Marzilli currently faces numerous charges of sexual assault. He was again in the news this week for travelling to Berlin, Germany, in October for an environmental summit as a representative of the Massachusetts state Senate.

Murray, who called Marzilli's trip "completely outrageous" on Thursday, commended him for resigning.

Responding to news that he travelled to Berlin, Germany in October in spite of facing sexual assault charges, the Massachusetts GOP called for state Sen. James Marzilli to be removed from the Senate.

"Jim Marzilli should resign or be expelled from the Senate today. Not tomorrow, or a week from now, but today," Barney Keller, a spokesman for the GOP, said in a statement. "The taxpayers have already paid him nearly $25,000 since his indictment, and it is an absolute farce if he gets paid one penny more."

State Senate President Therese Murray blasted state Sen. James Marzilli on Thursday for his October trip to Berlin, Germany, to attend an environmental forum.

Murray (D-Plymouth) said Marzilli's (D-Arlington) travels were inappropriate given the fact that he is currently facing charges of sexual harassment and is under review by the Senate Ethics Committee.

"I find it completely outrageous given the circumstances of Jim Marzilli's pending Senate ethics investigation and criminal trial that he would use his elected status in this way," Murray said in a statement. "I expect this information to be taken into consideration by the Senate Ethics Committee currently reviewing the question of his conduct."

Gov. Deval Patrick said Thursday that he would support the state Senate expelling state Sens. James Marzilli and Dianne Wilkerson, the Associated Press reports.

During his monthly appearance on WTKK-FM, Patrick said that if the allegations facing Wilkerson and Marzilli are true, the Senate should remove them from office, according to the AP.

In the race for James Marzilli's state Senate seat, Ken Donnelly raised significantly more money than his opponent in the Democratic primary, Jack Hurd, relying significantly on his ties to firefighter unions across the country, according to campaign finance reports.

Ken DonnellyBut, with just a week until that primary, Hurd has more cash on hand than Donnelly.

Donnelly raised over $108,000 since the beginning of the year, compared to Hurd's $41,000. However, Donnelly spent nearly $100,000 of that money, leaving him with $12,000 cash on hand going into Tuesday's primary. After spending just less than $28,000 so far this year, Hurd has nearly $13,500 left in his bank account.

One of State Sen. James Marzilli's legal woes came to an end Thursday, as the Middlesex district attorney again decided not to charge the state senator with assaulting a woman in April, the Associated Press reports.

District Attorney Gerard Leone decided in May that he would not charge Marzilli (D-Arlington) with assaulting a woman in April citing insufficient evidence. Leone reopened the investigation into the case in light of other women coming forward with allegations that Marzilli assaulting them on June 3 in Lowell.

Leone said there are "factual and legal deficiencies" preventing him from prosecuting the case.

The Lowell Sun reports that a Middlesex Superior Court judge has rejected a civil rights injunction against state Sen. James Marzilli (D-Arlington) filed last month by three women he allegedly harassed and assaulted.

The legal restraining order to stiffen penalties against Marzilli from further committing already illegal acts against the women, deemed "novel"  by their attorney Wendy Murphy, was denied this morning by Justice Sandra Hamlin.

It's Massachusetts Winners and Losers for August 1, 2008. CLICK HERE.