Do you believe the Norfolk County DA’s office needs to make changes, and if so, what kind?
Yes. The DA's Office needs systemic cultural change to ensure the highest standards of professionalism, public service and integrity. This requires a thorough review of policies and procedures, training curricula, personnel and an audit of pending and closed cases. I will publish, to the extent legally permitted, a report of findings as well as a strategic plan that will ensure that politics and privilege play no role in how justice is served in our community.
Djuna’s Top Priorities
Reduce violent crime
Reduce corruption
Support crime victims
Educate the public about the policies, practices and changes in the prosecutors’ office
Prioritize domestic and sexual violence initiatives
Hold law enforcement accountable
Restore public faith in the justice system
Protect at-risk senior citizens
Prevent recidivism
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Charge criminal offenders
Divert or dismiss simple drug possession cases
Ensure language access in the criminal legal system
Make sure all people have adequate access to legal help and the legal system
Negotiate with defense attorneys to resolve cases via plea bargain
Prepare for and represent the state in bench and jury trials
Reduce violent crime
Remove violent offenders from the community
Reduce corruption
Support crime victims
Educate the public about the policies, practices and changes in the prosecutors’ office
Prioritize domestic and sexual violence initiatives
Hold law enforcement accountable
Restore public faith in the justice system
Establish a Veterans court
Protect at-risk senior citizens
Guarantee constitutional rights
Prevent recidivism
Other
Please say a little more about what priorities you chose and why.
All of the items in this list are important. All can be accomplished at the same time, and some are already being done well (such as diversion for simple drug possession and Veterans' Court). The items I checked are those with the most room for improvement. Also, while I believe the majority of our police and prosecutors are ethical and professional, the events of the past few years have made law enforcement accountability critical to restoring the community's trust and ensuring public safety.
Do you believe it is your job to support:
✅ = yes ❌ = no ⚫️ = no response
✅ Expanded pre-trial services
✅ Alternatives to incarceration
✅ Diversion programs for youth offenders
✅ Diversion programs for mental health-based offenses
✅ Diversion programs for substance abuse related offenses
❌ Children being arrested in school for discipline-based offenses
✅ Expanding access to legal help within the legal system
✅ Devoting funding and staff time to community-based incarceration alternatives
✅ Victims who want to pursue criminal charges and no contact orders
✅ Victims who do not want to pursue criminal charges and no contact orders
✅ Limiting the use of cash bail in misdemeanor and low-level felony cases
❌ Holding youth in adult jails at any point in the adjudication process
❌ The limiting of misdemeanor non-dangerous offenses
✅ Immigrants that are concerned about possible deportation
✅ Clear public guidelines around the use of sentencing enhancements
✅ Use of independent prosecutors to investigate alleged police brutality
✅ Making the DA’s office more demographically representative
✅ Use of alternative metrics to conviction rates for measuring prosecutor performance
✅ Collecting and sharing de-identified trial and demographic data with the public, including bail and plea bargain offerings
✅ Use of an “open file” policy that provides defendants with information about their prosecution as early as possible
✅ Publicly sharing information on funding received through civil asset forfeiture
❌ Reducing re-incarceration for those who have violated probation
✅ Publicize policies you will advocate for as part of the Massachusetts District Attorney’s Association (MDAA)
Download our full candidate issue comparison
Please take 2 items in the above list and explain why this issue is or is not a priority for you, should you become DA.
Item 1: The limiting of misdemeanor non-dangerous offenses
Eliminating prosecution of some offenses would subvert the legislature's intent to criminalize them and ignore the impact of these crimes on the community and individual victims. That said, every case should be evaluated on its own merits, and many, if not most non-violent non-dangerous offenses should be diverted upon fulfillment of conditions that provide accountability without a conviction.
Item 2: Reducing re-incarceration for those who have violated probation
Probation violations are prosecuted by the Probation Department, not the District Attorney; and the judge decides whether re-incarceration is appropriate. In my experience, defendants who violate probation are generally only re-incarcerated for serious violations, such as commission of a new serious crime while on probation. Even then, the reincarceration often runs concurrently with the sentence on the new offense.