I see the court system through the eyes of my clients.
I have been a public defender for 15 years, and deeply love the work and the law. I have worked with children, young and emerging adults, and adults in the District, Superior, and Juvenile Courts. I have stood beside defendants as they faced a judge thousands of times, representing clients in Lawrence, Springfield, and Worcester. Though Massachusetts has many exceptionally gifted and capable judges, we also have some critical areas where the judiciary needs improvement. As Senator Mike Barrett said when he endorsed me, "Our judiciary is loaded with prosecutors. Mara has the values and experience needed to get us closer to balance."
The Governor’s Council has never had a public defender to help us decide who our judges are going to be, who sits on our Parole Board, and who receives commutations and pardons. We need to make that right, and we can do that this year.
From my own professional experience, I have seen that we must have judges who respect the science around addiction, as far too many who need recovery are taken into custody following relapse. It's expensive, it doesn't work, and often it makes recovery even harder. Additionally, we must have judges who respect the science around brain development in children and emerging adults, so that we don't treat a 13-year-old the way we would treat a 35-year-old.
Everyone who leaves court should feel that they have been treated fairly, with equal justice under the law. Judges must treat the people who appear before them with respect, model healthy conflict resolution, and be exceptional examples of our government.
As a public defender, I see the court system through the eyes of my clients. They can either leave court better positioned to make their lives the way they want them to be, or face an even higher hill to climb. As Governor’s Councilor, I will make sure that every nominee who appears before me shows that they have the character, experience, values, and courage to uphold the law and treat everyone who appears before them equally.