Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins once said that she did not become the district attorney to make friends. Recently, Rollins has been in the middle of a public fight with Judge Richard Sinnott over his overturning of her decision not to prosecute a few counter-protesters at a “straight-pride” parade in Boston. The Supreme Judicial Court eventually sided with Rollins in the case when she filed for an appeal.
Andrea Cabral, the former secretary of public safety and Suffolk County sheriff, thinks that much of the push back towards Rollins from members of the established criminal justice community is because of her approach to prosecution.
“I think she’s right there has to be another reason, and I think there is significant pushback to the way she is approaching her office,” Cabral said during an interview with Boston Public Radio on Thursday. “For me it boils down to privilege and power and the idea that powers never shared it usually has to be taken.”
Rollins has identified herself as a part of the progressive prosecution movement. Progressive prosecutors believe that for decades there has been too much emphasis on incarceration and punishment. Prosecutors like Rollins have made headlines across the nation for their decision not to prosecute low-level non-violent crimes like shoplifting and drug possession, and instead attempt to refer individuals into diversion programs or treatment.
In Suffolk County, Rollins’ policies have drawn the ire of members of the Boston Police Department, sitting judges and even other district attorneys. Cabral believes that Rollins’ decisions have drawn such intense criticism because she’s openly challenging the philosophy of much of the judiciary.
“What you’re seeing is ‘we’ve decided what your role should be as the DA, and to the extent that you don’t hew to that, there may be pushback from various aspects of the criminal justice system.”
Cabral also said that while Rollins gender and race are not the primary motivation for some of the criticism of her, she does think it is playing a role in the way members of the establishment view her.
“I think that there would be pushback regardless of her race and there is probably heightened pushback because of her race,” Cabral said. “It is undeniable that all of those things play a role in the criminal justice system.”
