Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins is pushing back against the criticism that the policies she has implemented have led her office to be too soft on some accused criminals. And while she says her reform efforts are still a work in progress, she is not backing down on her overall plan.
“I’m not apologetic,” Rollins told Jim Braude on Greater Boston Thursday. “I think everything’s a learning opportunity. …. I’m not going to apologize for being confident and bold in the things that I’m doing. But we’re going to adapt when we look and see things we can do differently.”
A recent Boston Globe story raised questions about whether some of the cases Rollins’ office has been dismissing might be a public safety concern. While running for office, Rollins vowed not to prosecute most people accused of 15 lower-level crimes, including shoplifting, trespassing, possession of drugs with intent to distribute and resisting arrest. And according to the Globe, she has been keeping her word, dismissing 40 percent more cases than her predecessor, former District Attorney Dan Conley, during her first month in office.
Among the cases the Globe highlighted was that of a man who Rollins’ office allowed to plead to a lesser charge to avoid prison time after he was accused of attacking a lawyer, causing a traumatic brain injury, as she walked her dog in Charlestown two years ago. But according to Rollins, she offered the man nearly the same deal as her predecessor did.
“I am told that the exact same offer was made to this defendant, under the Conley administration, as we did. We just upped it by demanding he give this victim $5,000 restitution and get the mental health services he needed,” Rollins said.
Rollins also noted that just because she is implementing new policies, that does not mean she will never prosecute any of the 15 crimes. But she pointed out that there are often other considerations.
“Many of the people that come into contact with the criminal justice system … are suffering from a mental health issue, substance abuse disorder or are homeless or poverty stricken and all I was saying was, ‘Let’s just slow the process down for a second.’”
In response to criticism from other district attorneys in the Globe piece, including Michael Morrissey of Norfolk and Michael O’Keefe of the Cape and Islands — who previously wrote a separate Globe Op-Ed about what he called “social justice candidates” — Rollins pointed out that everyone makes mistakes at some point in their career. But she said that she is focusing on the future.
“It’s very easy to Monday morning quarterback,” Rollins said. “What I am doing is making deliberate decisions, if I can, with 300 employees that are tasked with moving very, very quickly. We’re trying to slow it down so we can get it right.”
