FALL RIVER The jury trial of Natasha Burgo, charged in January with assault and battery offenses, has been postponed to Nov. 16, according to the Fall River District Court dockets in her cases. Burgo was a paraprofessional at Carlton Viveiros Elementary School when Fall River police charged her, WCVB reported at the time.
Court records show a judge allowed the Commonwealth's motion to continue the trial on Friday, Oct. 23, three days before it was set to open. The clerk's office sent South Coast 360 copies of both dockets on Wednesday, Oct. 28, in answer to our request.
Burgo has been free on personal recognizance since her arraignments, the dockets show. She pleaded not guilty, the Fall River Reporter reported in August, citing court records. She is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The two cases
According to the dockets, the first complaint, 2632CR000243, was issued Jan. 22 and charges Burgo with one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a child under 14. The second, 2632CR000298, was issued Jan. 27 and charges her with assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability and two counts of assault and battery. Fall River police brought both cases, and her lawyer filed an appearance on Jan. 29.
The court allowed the Commonwealth's motion to join the two cases in April. On Aug. 26 they were joined by agreement and set for a jury trial on Oct. 26, the records show.
Penalties under state law
Under state law, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon on a child under 14, by someone 18 or older, is punishable by up to 15 years in state prison or up to 2 1/2 years in a house of correction, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. Assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability, by someone who knows of the disability, carries up to 2 1/2 years in a house of correction or up to five years in state prison for a first offense. Simple assault and battery carries up to 2 1/2 years in a house of correction or a fine of up to $1,000.
A district court may impose the same penalties as the Superior Court for the crimes it hears, except that it may not sentence anyone to state prison.
What comes next
South Coast 360 will update this story when the trial opens. Our earlier story has the January arrest and the principal's letter to families.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
The postponement, the Nov. 16 date, the charges, the complaint dates, the release terms, the joinder and the lawyer's appearance come from the Fall River District Court dockets, which the clerk's office sent South Coast 360 on Oct. 28. The not guilty plea comes from the Fall River Reporter's Aug. 26 report, which cites court records, and Burgo's job and school from Fall River police as WCVB reported them in January. Penalties come from the General Laws, read Oct. 26. We checked each date and weekday against a calendar. No one named in the charges is identified or described beyond the charges as filed.
Corrections
No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.
Sources (7)
- Fall River District Court, criminal dockets 2632CR000243 and 2632CR000298, Commonwealth v. Natasha BurgoThe charges as filed, complaint dates, release on personal recognizance, the lawyer's appearance, the joinder, the Aug. 26 trial setting, and the Commonwealth's motion to continue allowed Oct. 23 with the jury trial reset to Nov. 16. Faxed to South Coast 360 by the clerk's office Oct. 28, 2026. Read Oct. 28, 2026.
- Fall River Reporter, "Trial date set after Fall River paraprofessional accused of assaulting student" (Aug. 26, 2026)Citing court records: the not guilty plea at the January arraignment. Published Aug. 26, 2026, 4:03 p.m. Read Oct. 26, 2026.
- WCVB, "Fall River paraprofessional accused of assaulting student" (Jan. 23, 2026)Burgo's job and school at the time of the January charges, as Fall River police identified them. Published Jan. 23, 2026. Read Oct. 26, 2026.
- Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 265, Section 15APenalty for assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon on a child under 14 by a person 18 or older, subsection (c)(iv). Read Oct. 26, 2026.
- Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 265, Section 13FPenalty for assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability. Read Oct. 26, 2026.
- Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 265, Section 13APenalty for assault and battery, subsection (a). Read Oct. 26, 2026.
- Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 218, Section 27District court penalties; no state prison sentences. Read Oct. 26, 2026.