Medwed: The race boils down to a contest between Kevin Hayden, who is the interim district attorney who was appointed by Governor Charlie Baker to fill out the remainder of Rachael Rollins's term and his challenger, Ricardo Arroyo, a Boston city councilor and a former public defender. So for those who don't know, who are we looking at as her potential successor? And this race would fill the seat that she vacated when President Biden nominated her to become the U.S. Paris Alston: You know, Daniel, I think about someone like former Suffolk County DA Rachael Rollins, who really shifted this office during her tenure. Now these elections are being reviewed much more closely, and I think for good reason. Now, things have changed in the last 10 years. And in 80 percent of those races, the incumbent runs unopposed. I saw a study, an academic study from about 15 years ago, that said that 94 percent of the time, the incumbent wins in county DA elections. ![]() Now, usually county DA elections were sleepy affairs. So if you care about local criminal justice policy, this is the race to watch. Your average rape, robbery, murder - that's a state court crime prosecuted by county district attorneys. Most crimes are prosecuted at the state level. What happens when a potential juror admits he's racist? Which types of cases does the office pursue? Which ones does it decline to prosecute? In an individual case, does it charge it as murder or manslaughter? What about plea bargaining policy? Do they make plea offers in most cases? Some cases? Not at all? It's a very consequential job.īoston City Council president suspends Arroyo's committee chairmanshipsĭA candidate Arroyo denies assault allegations as some withdraw endorsements And in that role, the DA gets to set criminal justice priorities. What's so important about the Suffolk DA's race? Why is the job meaningful?ĭaniel Medwed: The district attorney for Suffolk County is basically the chief law enforcement officer for the largest county in Massachusetts, the one that encompasses Boston. Jeremy Siegel: Let's start with what's at stake here. Northeastern University law professor and GBH legal analyst Daniel Medwed joined Morning Edition hosts Paris Alston and Jeremy Siegel to discuss the ramifications of the latest events. The contest for Suffolk County district attorney has taken a tumultuous turn in the weeks leading up to the Sept.
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