Man spends 16 years as Lynn court volunteer

LYNN – When his wife announced to him one morning she had signed them up him to volunteer at Lynn District Court, Jack O’Neill never thought the opportunity to fill some time would turn into a 16-year labor of love.He is a year away from turning 80, but O’Neill, a Saugus resident who was born in Lynn, spends Monday and Tuesday afternoons walking angry, often frightened women as well as men through the process of building a legal barrier between themselves and their abusers.”I try to provide moral support,” he said.O’Neill is not a lawyer and he completed one year in college, but years spent helping people navigate the judicial system has taught him the difference between civil complaints and restraining orders and the crucial questions to ask someone who may be in danger.On a recent Tuesday he helped a middle age man who felt threatened by his sister take out a restraining order against the woman.”You’re afraid of physical harm?” O’Neill asked the man in an effort to sum up his complaint.”She’s unbalanced and it’s my home. I’m a little afraid,” the man replied.On most afternoons, O’Neill helps individuals who walk into District Court’s domestic violence officer fill out orders and then walks them to a courtroom where he waits while they answer a judge’s questions.He handles one or two cases on some afternoons and juggles six or more on others. His donation of time and compassion has provided insights into the judicial system and himself.”Sometimes it’s like a revolving door: you see the same people. Mostly I think the system works,” he said.O’Neill grew up on Grove Street, repaired aircraft in the Navy, worked at the River Works and helped his wife, Verna, raise four children. He retired in 1988 and occupied his days with neighborhood walks while Verna volunteered at the Saugus Senior Center.”She came home one day and said she had signed us up to volunteer at Lynn Court. I asked, ‘What am I going to do?’ “”Probably make coffee and file a few papers,” she said.Verna volunteered with him for a few years before devoting her time to other interests. O’Neill continued to volunteer and gain insights into his 44-year marriage.”My advice is to make it 50-50. Don’t try to outdo each other. Try to share.”