After winning last night’s Democratic primary, MBTA and MassDOT chief legal counsel Rachael Rollins got one step closer to being the Suffolk County District Attorney — possibly the first female DA of color in Massachusetts.
Rollins will now face off against Independent Mike Maloney on Nov. 6, potentially moving forward and taking on the responsibilities of a district attorney.
But what, exactly, does this mean for voters? A ccording to a poll from the ACLU, almost half (38 percent) of Mass. voters did not know that DA’s are elected and accountable only to voters.
The poll was conducted as part of a larger educational campaign out of the ACLU to help connect the dots and answer the question: what exactly does a DA do?
ACLU Mass. Executive Director Carol Rose and Director of the ACLU’s racial justice program Rahsaan Hall joined Jim Braude and Margery Eagan on Boston Public Radio to discuss their ongoing program, What A Difference A DA Makes.
“At virtually every point along the criminal legal system, a DA can exert extraordinary influence on the lives of ordinary people in the Commonwealth,” Rose said. “...there’s no other check and balance other than the voters, so the importance of people going out to vote and to pay attention to DA races really can’t be overstated.”
To hear the full conversation, click on the audio player above.
