Colin Flaherty: New District Attorney Won't Make the Black Kids Angry by Prosecuting Their Crime

New District Attorney Won't Make the Black Kids Angry by Prosecuting Their Crime Colin Flahjerty Commentary Video "Progressive Democrat won the primary to be the next Boston-area district attorney went on Fox News Tucker Carlson.
Rachael Rollins defended her support for decriminalizing shoplifting and drug possession."

By Nik DeCosta-Klipa September 6, 2018
Rachael Rollins won the Democratic primary Tuesday in the race to be the next Suffolk County district attorney, promising to bring progressive reform to the Boston-based office. On Wednesday night, Rollins took her message to a perhaps tougher audience: Fox News.

Rollins, a former federal prosecutor and lawyer for the MBTA and Massport, ran on a platform that centered around prioritizing the prosecution of violent crimes, restorative justice, reducing racial disparities in the system, and the “decriminalization of poverty, addiction, and mental illness.” Some of the reforms she supported included the elimination of cash bail and mandatory minimum sentences.

On her campaign website, Rollins also said she would effectively decriminalize a list of nonviolent crimes, including drug possession with intent to distribute, shoplifting, and larceny under $250. It was that aspect of her platform which Carlson was interested in talking about. Rollins told Boston.com that Fox News reached out to her campaign to invite her on the show.

“There are sections in Boston that are not livable at all,” Rollins said. “I want to focus on that type of crime. … I don’t have a problem putting people in jail if they are violent, but I believe we have too many people in jail who are not violent. And we can disagree with what violence is, and I respect that and understand it, but I believe that we are spending too much time on petty crimes that are clogging up our system and costing us more money. … They’re more social problems than they are crimes.”

“Criminal justice reform is an issue that transcends ideology – it has real life consequences for people around the country,” she said. “Massachusetts is poised to be a model of criminal justice reform for the nation – which is something that we are proud to share with anyone who is willing to listen.”