Massachusetts State Representative J. James Marzilli, Jr. (D) pleaded guilty to all charges against him, including sexual harassment, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, and was sentenced to three months in prison.
 
Just last Sunday, J. James Marzilli Jr. was in his element, hosting a wine-and-cheese fund-raiser with his wife, Susan Shaer, at their home in Arlington. Marzilli spent much of his time showing off his wildflowers and talking about how tired he was from gardening all weekend.

Yesterday, the state senator announced that he would end his bid for reelection and checked into McLean Hospital, the latest fallout after he was charged Tuesday with trying to grope a woman and harass another in downtown Lowell.

Lowell Police Superintendent Kenneth E. Lavallee said yesterday that the senator may have thought he could get away with harassing women, but it is "never going to be tolerated by anybody, regardless of stature in life."

Marzilli's stunningly swift downfall shook his friends and supporters and left them searching for answers. State House lawmakers were in shock.

"It's terrifying, because I have no idea what happened," said state Representative Cory Atkins, a Concord Democrat, who said she is close to Marzilli. "Everybody looks at this and goes, 'Oh, my God.' How do you know it can't happen to somebody else, when it's happened to somebody who is such a hard-working colleague?"

Prosecutors at Marzilli's arraignment Wednesday described the Arlington Democrat as an out-of-control and foul-mouthed aggressor, and said they were investigating allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with at least five other women in the last two years.

"I've never heard a comment out of his mouth, even just two guys talking, that was in any way demeaning to women," said Paul Schlichtman, a former Arlington School Committee member who has known Marzilli for 15 years. "Even just sitting around having a glass of wine and joking, he was always very proper and straightforward, and he was always interested in policy issues. And the relationship with his wife seemed very loving and close."

A dyed-in-the-wool liberal, Marzilli developed a love of politics debating Nixon campaign workers in the 1960s and was known as a champion of unions, environmental activists, and social service groups. He rose from political organizing jobs in the 1980s to state representative in 1991 and was elected to the Senate in December.

"There's a lot of head-scratching going on," said Aimee Coolidge, a neighbor and chairwoman of the Arlington Democratic Town Committee who has known Marzilli for 15 years. "What we're all hearing and reading about is so contrary to the Jim Marzilli that everybody knows. Most of us are baffled. It's very hard, for me personally, to wrap my head around this."

Several friends said they had urged Marzilli, after he was arrested Tuesday, to seek medical attention.

"It looks to me like the man is not well," said Deborah Sirotkin Butler, an Arlington lawyer and member of the state Democratic Committee, who has known Marzilli for 15 years. "My hope is that he is kept safe."

Wendy Murphy, a Boston lawyer, said she represents several women who have accused Marzilli of touching them inappropriately and who are weighing their legal options. She said the women were "very glad" Marzilli is not seeking reelection.

"They feel safer, and they think it's the right result, because a person who commits these kinds of acts should not be in a position of trust," Murphy said.

In a statement announcing that he would quit his reelection bid, Marzilli did not address the allegations but said, "My State House staff will continue to respond to the needs of constituents within the district until the end of my term."

The statement added, "Susan and I thank the many of you who have reached out with your love and kindness in the past few days and we ask for your continued good wishes and support during this very difficult time."

Yesterday, Marzilli's lawyer, Terrence W. Kennedy of Everett, said that Marzilli had checked into McLean, a psychiatric hospital in Belmont, "for treatment of an undisclosed illness."

Marzilli, 50, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to six charges that he tried to grope one woman and harass another in Lowell Tuesday. He was released on $1,500 bail and is due back in court next month for a pretrial hearing.

Just last month, Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr. said there was not enough evidence to charge Marzilli with inappropriately touching a woman he drove home from a fund-raiser in Arlington in April.

Leone said authorities are investigating allegations against the senator of inappropriate sexual contact with a woman in Brighton two years ago and in Arlington last year. Lowell police said that they are investigating reports from three other women who said Marzilli accosted them in Lowell Tuesday.

Walking along Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington yesterday, constituent Ken Zimmerman, 44, said that Marzilli is "not suited to represent the good people of Arlington," and that his behavior "portends other poor judgments."

Marzilli's seat will be contested in September by two Democrats, Kenneth J. Donnelly, secretary-treasurer of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, and John W. Hurd, an Arlington selectman. No Republicans are on the ballot.

"My thoughts go out to Jim, Susan, and the victims," said Donnelly, a former Lexington firefighter who has known Marzilli for years. "It's clear that Jim has some problems and he's sick and he needs help."