MacLellan: Norfolk needs a pivot to professionalism

Holding population office is a responsibility to others not a personal benefit to the elected official We need leaders who demonstrate a genuine commitment to those they serve by remaining connected and accountable The Norfolk County District Attorney has failed in this the majority basic responsibility A sensationalized trial has cast a veil of distrust over the entire Norfolk County DA s Office Despite national attention the DA has essentially remained unaccounted for allowing drama and discord to overshadow the tragic loss of human life at issue The DA s failure to properly manage Officer John O Keefe s incident and other major investigations such as the death of Sandra Birchmore a young woman who was allegedly raped impregnated and killed by a Stoughton Police Officer and whose death was ruled a suicide until federal government took over and the gruesome murder of Ana Walshe in my hometown about which the DA has never spoken to our locality has left residents doubting the DA s competence objectivity and commitment Wasteful spending of inhabitants funds on special counsel to prosecute the Read development when any number of capable salaried assistant DA s could have handled it raises serious concerns about the DA s ability to make sound fiscal decisions These are but a insufficient elements of one undeniable truth the current DA is no longer deserving of the essential masses position we have entrusted him with That is why I am running for Norfolk County DA Over the past nine months I travelled across Norfolk County to listen to residents Two common themes emerged various aren t sure of who the DA is or what the office does and those who do know view the DA as ineffective unprofessional and in countless cases incompetent Throughout dozens of conversations nobody I spoke with could cite a single instance in which the Norfolk DA made a masses appearance in their population This is unacceptable The current DA was first elected to citizens office in nearly fifty years ago He will have served four four-year terms as DA by the balloting three of which were unopposed During his largely unchallenged tenure we have seen a concerning erosion of the community s confidence in this critically impactful office At the heart of all operations at the DA s office there demands to be competent professional leadership that inspires confidence and demonstrates a knowledge of criminal justice and the law It s time to reimagine the way in which our DA serves Norfolk County It s time for a new brand of leadership one that takes an energetic and engaging approach to populace safety As I see it the cornerstones of effective regime are professionalism communication collaboration empathy and accountability Proactive visible leadership and a community-centered approach to prosecution will deliver a high- performing service-oriented DA s office to Norfolk County one worthy of the community s trust and encouragement Accountability is the largest part essential element of good administration It requires visibility and accessibility In Norfolk County our DA is invisible and inaccessible and the ensuing long-term lack of accountability has yielded catastrophic results Criminal investigations need to capture the full picture so that informed objective decisions can be made We must steer away from personal or political bias and bring an open-minded fact-based approach to each affair I am not a politician I am a criminal law attorney I have served as both prosecutor and defense counsel advocating on behalf of thousands of people with different stories and challenges I have spent countless hours within the criminal courts of this Commonwealth over a twenty-year career and I have seen firsthand what a vital role empathy a true understanding of all relevant perspectives plays in criminal justice This is the type of professional experience we need in our DA When I began my legal career I was given a quote that still guides my approach to criminal justice nowadays The citizens safety lies in the prosecutor who tempers zeal with human kindness who seeks truth and not casualties who serves the law and not factional purposes and who approaches their task with humility Robert H Jackson former U S Attorney General and Supreme Court Justice I think that s the perspective we need to bring to Norfolk County Let s do it together Courtesy of Craig MacLellanCraig MacLellan Courtesy of Craig MacLellan