Two conflicting stories emerged last week in dueling radio, television and newspaper stories centered on the messy divorce case involving former Chief Justice Frank Williams’ personal driver, Pamela DosReis and her husband Frank.

After the smoke cleared and the media blitz was over, it begged the question as to whether or not coming forward was worth it for Williams. Williams said in an interview on Friday morning, in the middle of his media blitz, that he went against the advice of several advisors in talking to the press.

“If there are five people who believe that…I had anything to do with the breakup of this marriage, or that I interfered with this marriage, I’ve got to speak out,” said Williams. He said he couldn’t comment earlier because the divorce proceedings were ongoing. Instead, he waited until the couple reached a tentative settlement, which happened last Tuesday. Contacted yesterday, Williams said he had no choice but to come forward.

"I had to do it to explain the truth. I have no regrets; only that if I could have done it sooner I would have," said Williams.

In Friday’s interview Williams referred to the divorce proceedings as a “three-ring Barnum and Bailey Circus, with Keven McKenna. And the judge let them get away with it.”

Williams quoted former Labor Secretary under Ronald Reagan, Ray Donovan, who was charged with larceny and asked reporters after his acquittal, “To what office do I go to get my reputation back?”

Williams found himself in the middle of the messy divorce when Frank DosReis, a corrections officer at the ACI, said Williams was spending what he thought was too much time at the family’s Johnston home. DosReis said that Williams, in a big way, contributed to the dissolution of his marriage.

Williams looked tired, disgusted and annoyed on Friday morning. From the outset, it became clear that Williams is concerned with his legacy as Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

“Everything that Virginia [his wife] and I did for this family and this child was flipped to a negative nuance. Everything. Everything. Everything was just flipped,” said an exasperated Williams.

“Everything we value—honor, integrity, an independent judiciary, family, children, loyalty—was turned topsy-turvy by, not this process, but the father, Frank DosReis, let’s put it right out there, my friend or former friend, and his lawyer, who he knew had an animus with me, Keven McKenna.”

Sounding disgusted, Williams continued, “One of the things that I’ve gone about speaking is civility among people, alternative dispute resolution, mediation—we didn’t have this here. We had the total opposite,” said Williams.

Williams said that he suspected McKenna was hired by DosReis in order to attack him. But during an interview taking place simultaneously on the John DePetro show on 630 WPRO, DosReis told DePetro that given Williams powerful position as a former chief judge who was still hearing cases, DosReis couldn’t find anyone to represent him. He contacted several lawyers, he said, but all of them said they couldn’t represent him in that particular case. Finally, a lawyer referred him to McKenna who was happy to accept the case.

A call placed to McKenna’s office was not returned by press deadline. DosReis claims Williams never really treated him like a friend, and ordered him around his own house. When Williams saw a prominent attorney, judge or state legislator, he didn’t introduce DosReis as a friend, DosReis said.

“He would say this is Pamela’s husband,” said DosReis.

Despite the fact that he thought Williams was spending an inordinate amount of time at his home, DosReis said he never spoke up because he was afraid of Williams, given his powerful position.

“He was the chief justice and I’m just a [corrections officer],” said DosReis.

DosReis’ side of the story makes it seem like Williams cared much for his wife and daughter, but not much for him, and therefore facilitated the dissolution of his marriage.

Williams, however, characterized DosReis as a man who can’t come to grips with the dissolution of his marriage. Williams said he made a convenient scapegoat for DosReis—a troubled man coming to grips with his divorce.

Williams, who is godfather to the 6-year-old DosReis child, was generous with the family after having grown close to the little girl. Williams spent $1,000 on a new television set for the family, paid $6,000 for the girl’s tuition at Bay View Academy and put $6,000 into a money market account for her.

Williams said he and his wife Virginia, who have no children, miss spending time with the girl, and are unsure how the situation will play after the final divorce decree is settled upon.

Williams also sought to clear the air over the issue of how many nights he’d spent at the house, saying he only slept in the guest room no more than four times over the last several years.

DosReis seemed to agree on the DePetro show, but said he would visit the house five nights per week—and in his opinion, overstay his welcome.

Williams also defended himself against assertions that he hired family members of Pamela DosReis, his driver, on the basis of patronage. Williams said that he recommended the court administrator hire her mother as a part-time janitor, and another family member for a summer internship on the basis that he knew the people would do a good job.

Williams also sought to counter rumors that his retirement last year had something to do with the divorce case. Williams said he was recommending the couple seek counseling and save their marriage late last year.

He retired, he said, because his now late mother, and his late mother in-law, were both ailing and wanted more free time.

“It’s been a rough year,” said Williams.