Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins made headlines after she attacked Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, alleging his staff lacks diversity after he pushed back against her prosecution policies.
Rollins blasted the governor at a Sunday rally in Dorchester, saying, “The people that think they understand our community but don’t have a single black secretary in their cabinet — you’re not going to have a job pretty soon,” The Boston Herald reported. Baker’s cabinet is made up of two white women, one Hispanic woman and six white men, according to the Herald.
“I think our track record across our administration in terms of commission appointments, judicial appointments and administration appointments stand up against anybody’s,” Baker said Monday, defending his administration against Rollins’ accusation, the Herald reported.
Rollins attacked the governor following a debate with his administration regarding her loose criminal justice reform policies.
Trespassing, shoplifting, larceny under $250, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, receiving stolen property, operating a vehicle with a suspend or revoked license, breaking and entering, wanton or malicious destruction of property and minor possession of alcohol are among the offenses for which the default is to decline prosecuting, according to Rollins’ policies listed on her website.
The DA also maintains that threats, drug possession — including with intent to distribute — and resisting arrest, including resisting arrest while committing one of the above offenses, are not to be charged.
Under Rollins’ policies, prosecutors should either dismiss the charges before arraignment or treat the crime as a civil infraction to be redressed with community service, according to her policy guidelines. Exceptional cases that demand prosecution should be pursued only with the permission of a supervisor, the guidelines state.
Rollins says her policies are intended to cut back on the prosecution of petty crimes which hurt disenfranchised community members. “My prosecutors distinguish between petty offenses and serious criminal conduct every single day,” she said, according to The Bay State Banner.
Rollins’ policies will make communities less safe, Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety Thomas Turco said in a memo.
Nation of Islam Minister Randy Muhammad endorsed Rollins policies at a rally for the DA, saying, “We stand with our duly-elected district attorney Rachael Rollins,” the Banner reported. Muhammad is a local representative of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, according to his Mosque’s Facebook page.
Farrakhan is a well-known anti-Semite who has described Jews as “satanic” and praised Hitler as a “very great man.”
Rollins took office in January 2019. She claims she does not aim to butt heads. “I’m not here to fight with people,” Rollins said Sunday, The Boston Globe reported.
Rollins did not respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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