Retired New Bedford Firefighter Faces Trial for Bar Fight

Manuel Mota declined a plea deal and will go to trial on April 7 over a disorderly conduct charge from a 2025 incident.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Manuel Mota Jr., a retired New Bedford firefighter with a long history of arrests, is set to face a jury trial on April 7 over a disorderly conduct charge stemming from a bar fight in Fairhaven in 2025. Prosecutors offered Mota a guilty plea and $150 fine, but he declined, and the case will now go to trial.

Why it matters

Mota's case highlights the challenges of repeat offenders and the potential need for more stringent measures to address patterns of disorderly and criminal behavior, especially among public servants like firefighters who are expected to uphold high standards of conduct.

The details

The disorderly conduct charge against Mota is his eighth arrest since 2000. In the Fairhaven incident, police reports indicate Mota was involved in a bar fight and used racial slurs against the arresting officers. Prosecutors plan to call two police officers and a bartender to testify at the trial.

  • Mota's trial is set for April 7, 2026.
  • Mota pleaded guilty in November 2024 to a disorderly conduct charge in Quincy and was fined $100.
  • Mota retired from the New Bedford Fire Department with a full pension in June 2025, just hours before a scheduled termination hearing.

The players

Manuel Mota Jr.

A retired New Bedford firefighter with a long history of arrests, including eight since 2000, who is facing a jury trial on a disorderly conduct charge from a 2025 bar fight in Fairhaven.

Judge Joseph P. Harrington Jr.

The New Bedford District Court judge who set the trial date and warned Mota that he would be held to the standards of an attorney since he is representing himself.

Bristol County District Attorney's Office

The prosecutors handling Mota's case, who offered him a plea deal that he declined, and who plan to call witnesses to testify at the trial.

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What they’re saying

“The Commonwealth is not going to dismiss the case. So the case is going to trial.”

— Judge Joseph P. Harrington Jr., New Bedford District Court Judge (newbedfordlight.org)

“You are representing yourself. And you will be held to the standards of any attorney moving forward.”

— Judge Joseph P. Harrington Jr., New Bedford District Court Judge (newbedfordlight.org)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on February 27 whether to allow Mota's two unnamed witnesses to testify at the trial.

The takeaway

This case highlights the challenges of addressing repeat offenders, especially those in positions of public trust like firefighters, and the need for stronger accountability measures to ensure high standards of conduct are upheld.