Thursday, December 20, 2018
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Mayor Walsh and Commissioner Gross to host a one-day gun buyback program
BOSTON - Thursday, December 13, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross, in collaboration with physicians and medical professionals, today announced a coordinated gun buyback day will take place in six locations across Boston on Saturday, December 15 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The day marks a remembrance of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which happened six years ago on December 14. The "Piece for Peace" program aims to bring attention to the devastating toll that unneeded and unsecured guns can have on individuals and the public at large, and provides the opportunity for people to turn in unwanted guns and ammunition, no questions asked.
"Here in Boston, we know that even one life lost to gun violence is one too many," said Mayor Walsh. "The Boston Police Department is committed to getting guns off our streets: whether it's through the creation of the gun buyback program, recovering firearms, engaging with responsible gun owners, or tracing the path of illegal guns, we are working with the community everyday to make Boston a safer place for everyone."
Boston Police Department's gun buyback program, "Piece for Peace," is a proactive campaign to take guns off Boston's streets organized in collaboration with Mass General Hospital for Children and the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization. The buyback program asks city residents to turn-in guns at designated drop-off locations citywide in return for a $100 Target gift card. The "no questions asked" program allows individuals to anonymously dispose of firearms without fear of charges for illegal possession when turning in the weapon. For locations and information on the Boston Police Department's gun buyback efforts this weekend, please visit bpdnews.com.
"This One Day Buy Back is a unique event in that it strengthens the bridge between the city, public safety, and the health community around gun violence. Street violence and gun suicides are issues that touch all facets of the community and are a shared responsibility," said Commissioner Gross. "By participating in this regional buy back, we provide an opportunity for family members to get guns out of their houses, and off the streets, with no questions asked. We are all playing an important role in this fight against gun violence. I've said it before, but one gun off the street is one gun out of the hands of a kid in our community and possibly one life saved."
Medical professionals have joined this initiative in an effort to decrease youth violence and take guns off the streets by raising funds within their local healthcare organizations, and hosting buyback days throughout Massachusetts.
"As I pediatric trauma surgeon, I often see the deadly effects of gun access and and the toll it takes on victims, their families and those who treat them," says Peter Masiakos, director of pediatric trauma services at MassGeneral Hospital for Children and co-founder of the MGH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition. "Working together, physicians and political leaders have a responsibility to address the public health crisis that is gun violence. This gun buyback that is made possible by the the forward thinking actions of the Boston Police Department and Mayor Walsh is an opportunity to safely rid homes and streets on unwanted weapons. If just one life is spared; whether it is by preventing a suicide or or an unintentional shooting that happens when a child finds an unsecured gun in a closet, this event will have been successful."
Since the beginning of the program in 2014, the Boston Police Department has collected 601 guns that have been turned in through gun buybacks facilitated through the Piece for Peace program. So far in 2018, the BPD has confiscated over 645 illegal firearms and hopes that Boston city residents will take advantage of this one-day program to increase that total, and in turn, increase the safety of our city.
The following procedure must be followed in order to receive amnesty for possession of a gun and to receive a gift certificate.
If the protocol is followed, the person dropping off the firearm will not be prosecuted for unlawful possession of that specific firearm.
Amnesty - however - will not be promised or given for any other crime committed with that firearm or for any other crime committed while in possession of that firearm.
Procedure:
"Here in Boston, we know that even one life lost to gun violence is one too many," said Mayor Walsh. "The Boston Police Department is committed to getting guns off our streets: whether it's through the creation of the gun buyback program, recovering firearms, engaging with responsible gun owners, or tracing the path of illegal guns, we are working with the community everyday to make Boston a safer place for everyone."
Boston Police Department's gun buyback program, "Piece for Peace," is a proactive campaign to take guns off Boston's streets organized in collaboration with Mass General Hospital for Children and the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization. The buyback program asks city residents to turn-in guns at designated drop-off locations citywide in return for a $100 Target gift card. The "no questions asked" program allows individuals to anonymously dispose of firearms without fear of charges for illegal possession when turning in the weapon. For locations and information on the Boston Police Department's gun buyback efforts this weekend, please visit bpdnews.com.
"This One Day Buy Back is a unique event in that it strengthens the bridge between the city, public safety, and the health community around gun violence. Street violence and gun suicides are issues that touch all facets of the community and are a shared responsibility," said Commissioner Gross. "By participating in this regional buy back, we provide an opportunity for family members to get guns out of their houses, and off the streets, with no questions asked. We are all playing an important role in this fight against gun violence. I've said it before, but one gun off the street is one gun out of the hands of a kid in our community and possibly one life saved."
Medical professionals have joined this initiative in an effort to decrease youth violence and take guns off the streets by raising funds within their local healthcare organizations, and hosting buyback days throughout Massachusetts.
"As I pediatric trauma surgeon, I often see the deadly effects of gun access and and the toll it takes on victims, their families and those who treat them," says Peter Masiakos, director of pediatric trauma services at MassGeneral Hospital for Children and co-founder of the MGH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition. "Working together, physicians and political leaders have a responsibility to address the public health crisis that is gun violence. This gun buyback that is made possible by the the forward thinking actions of the Boston Police Department and Mayor Walsh is an opportunity to safely rid homes and streets on unwanted weapons. If just one life is spared; whether it is by preventing a suicide or or an unintentional shooting that happens when a child finds an unsecured gun in a closet, this event will have been successful."
Since the beginning of the program in 2014, the Boston Police Department has collected 601 guns that have been turned in through gun buybacks facilitated through the Piece for Peace program. So far in 2018, the BPD has confiscated over 645 illegal firearms and hopes that Boston city residents will take advantage of this one-day program to increase that total, and in turn, increase the safety of our city.
The following procedure must be followed in order to receive amnesty for possession of a gun and to receive a gift certificate.
If the protocol is followed, the person dropping off the firearm will not be prosecuted for unlawful possession of that specific firearm.
Amnesty - however - will not be promised or given for any other crime committed with that firearm or for any other crime committed while in possession of that firearm.
Procedure:
- Gun must be delivered unloaded.
- Gun must be put in a clear plastic bag, and put into another container (gym bag, backpack etc.).
- If depositing ammunition in addition to a gun, ammunition must be delivered in a separate bag.
- If transporting the gun by car, gun must be transported in the trunk of the vehicle.
- After the gun is screened by officers, and determined to be a working firearm, a gift card will be given.
- Rifles and shotguns will be accepted, however, no incentive will be issued or provided.
Source: Contact: Press Office, 617-635-4461
East Boston Playhouse to stage production of The Little Prince
 |
| Amelia Winer, left, and Joe Carr rehearse a scene from The Little Prince. |
The East Boston Playhouse is proud to announce their latest production, The Little Prince by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar, based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
The Little Prince may have returned to his own tiny planet to tend his Rose and look after his Sheep, but for a short enchanted time he returns to us and comes alive on stage.
This play tells the story of a world-weary and disenchanted Aviator whose sputtering plane strands him in the Sahara Desert and a mysterious, regal "little man" who appears and asks him to "Please, sir, draw me a sheep."
During their two weeks together in the desert, the Little Prince tells the Aviator about his adventures through the galaxy, how he met the Lamplighter and the Businessman and the Geographer, and about his strained relationship with a very special flower on his own tiny planet.
The Little Prince talks to everyone he meets: a garden of roses, the Snake and a Fox who wishes to be tamed. From each he gains a unique insight which he shares with the Aviator: "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly." "What is essential is invisible to the eye." At length, both the "little man" and the Aviator must go home—each with a new understanding of how to laugh, cry, and love again.
With an ensemble cast of talented actors from East Boston and surrounding communities, The Little Prince will be presented at the Zumix, 260 Sumner Street, Friday, January 4, 2019 at 7PM, and Saturday, January 5, 2019 at 2PM and again at 7PM.
Tickets may be purchased for $10 by visiting the East Boston Playhouse website at www.eastbostonplayhouse.com. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door the day of performance for $12.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
The Possible Project, Madison Park Technical Vocational High School and Boston Medical Center Launch Job Training and Educational Program for Students
BOSTON, December 11, 2018– Students who are dual-enrolled in The Possible Project and Madison Park Technical Vocational High School’s Allied Health Vocation Program will now be able to do more than just study a career in health care: they will gain hands on training in clinical assistant and support services roles at Boston Medical Center and can apply for jobs at the hospital at the end of the academic year.
Students from sophomores to seniors will be engaged in education programs, job shadowing and training, including direct instruction from the BMC staff at both the Madison Park and BMC campuses. At the conclusion of the school year, seniors will be eligible to apply for open medical assistant and nursing assistant jobs as well as support services roles at BMC, which combined currently number more than 500 positions.
“With the need for qualified healthcare personnel on the rise, it is paramount that we, career vocational technical education high schools, prepare our students to meet that demand, states Kevin McCaskill, Executive Director of Madison Park Technical Vocational High School. “Allied health giants such as BMC provide us with the knowledge, skills, and resources to better prepare our students for post-secondary and career success. Allied health partners are a key component to improving student outcomes across the board. An alliance with BMC is a game changer for us and we are truly thankful and grateful for the role The Possible Project played in developing this partnership.”
Founded by Mark and Becky Levin, the Possible Project (TPP) inspires students to unlock their potential for success through innovation and design thinking, social emotional skills, entrepreneurship, work experience, and college and career pathways support. TPP is committed to providing innovative opportunities to students knowing that students are fundamentally more engaged when their learning has obvious and clear real-world relevance and application.
“We believe this type of industry engaged partnership is critical to the success of students in high school,” said Becky Levin, Executive Director and Founder of The Possible Project. “This partnership could be a model for the region and for the country.”
“As one of the region’s largest employers, we know firsthand that the greatness of our city and hospital comes from the many faces in our community,” said Lisa Kelly-Croswell, BMC’s Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. “There is tremendous talent and heart in Boston’s public schools and neighborhoods. Our collective efforts and enthusiasm will translate into educational and job opportunities for students, as well as advance our vision to make Boston the healthiest urban population in the world.”
This pilot partnership aims to provide a rich and authentic educational experience often left off the table in traditional classrooms: hands-on project based lessons with a committed industry partner. Students will acquire both the technical skills of medical assistants and certified nursing assistants from their instruction at Madison Park, as well as an entrepreneurial mindset, professionalism, team spirit, communications and customer service skills fostered by The Possible Project.
“For students to be truly successful in today’s economy, they need more than some technical acumen and a job application,” said Robert Finnegan, Vice President at the Possible Project. “They need the mindsets to succeed; professional skills; mentors who care; and great companies like Boston Medical Center to step up and show that they care about recruiting talented members of the community.”
# # #
About Boston Medical Center
Boston Medical Center is a private, not-for-profit, 487-bed, academic medical center that is the primary teaching affiliate of Boston University School of Medicine. It is the largest and busiest provider of trauma and emergency services in New England. Boston Medical Center offers specialized care for complex health problems and is a leading research institution, receiving more than $116 million in sponsored research funding in fiscal year 2017. It is the 15th largest recipient of funding in the U.S. from the National Institutes of Health among independent hospitals. In 1997, BMC founded Boston Medical Center Health Plan, Inc., now one of the top ranked Medicaid MCOs in the country, as a non-profit managed care organization. Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine are partners in the Boston HealthNet – 14 community health centers focused on providing exceptional health care to residents of Boston. For more information, please visit http://www.bmc.org.
About Madison Park Technical Vocational High School
Madison Park Technical Vocational High School is Boston’s only vocational and technical high school providing rich training in 16 vocational tracks. The mission of the Madison Park Technical Vocational High School is to provide our students with rigorous academic and technical educational programs and the character necessary to further pursue and succeed in postsecondary and career opportunities in order to become productive citizens.
https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/madisonpark
About The Possible Project
The Possible Project works to instill an entrepreneurial mindset in our students, developing the social-emotional skills necessary to work collaboratively and solve problems in a high-level career path. We guide students through a dynamic curriculum, including hands-on work experience and individualized career planning, to develop the personal qualities that predict future professional success. https://possibleproject.org/
Source: Timothy Viall
Senior Media Relations Specialist
Boston Medical Center
Students from sophomores to seniors will be engaged in education programs, job shadowing and training, including direct instruction from the BMC staff at both the Madison Park and BMC campuses. At the conclusion of the school year, seniors will be eligible to apply for open medical assistant and nursing assistant jobs as well as support services roles at BMC, which combined currently number more than 500 positions.
“With the need for qualified healthcare personnel on the rise, it is paramount that we, career vocational technical education high schools, prepare our students to meet that demand, states Kevin McCaskill, Executive Director of Madison Park Technical Vocational High School. “Allied health giants such as BMC provide us with the knowledge, skills, and resources to better prepare our students for post-secondary and career success. Allied health partners are a key component to improving student outcomes across the board. An alliance with BMC is a game changer for us and we are truly thankful and grateful for the role The Possible Project played in developing this partnership.”
Founded by Mark and Becky Levin, the Possible Project (TPP) inspires students to unlock their potential for success through innovation and design thinking, social emotional skills, entrepreneurship, work experience, and college and career pathways support. TPP is committed to providing innovative opportunities to students knowing that students are fundamentally more engaged when their learning has obvious and clear real-world relevance and application.
“We believe this type of industry engaged partnership is critical to the success of students in high school,” said Becky Levin, Executive Director and Founder of The Possible Project. “This partnership could be a model for the region and for the country.”
“As one of the region’s largest employers, we know firsthand that the greatness of our city and hospital comes from the many faces in our community,” said Lisa Kelly-Croswell, BMC’s Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. “There is tremendous talent and heart in Boston’s public schools and neighborhoods. Our collective efforts and enthusiasm will translate into educational and job opportunities for students, as well as advance our vision to make Boston the healthiest urban population in the world.”
This pilot partnership aims to provide a rich and authentic educational experience often left off the table in traditional classrooms: hands-on project based lessons with a committed industry partner. Students will acquire both the technical skills of medical assistants and certified nursing assistants from their instruction at Madison Park, as well as an entrepreneurial mindset, professionalism, team spirit, communications and customer service skills fostered by The Possible Project.
“For students to be truly successful in today’s economy, they need more than some technical acumen and a job application,” said Robert Finnegan, Vice President at the Possible Project. “They need the mindsets to succeed; professional skills; mentors who care; and great companies like Boston Medical Center to step up and show that they care about recruiting talented members of the community.”
# # #
About Boston Medical Center
Boston Medical Center is a private, not-for-profit, 487-bed, academic medical center that is the primary teaching affiliate of Boston University School of Medicine. It is the largest and busiest provider of trauma and emergency services in New England. Boston Medical Center offers specialized care for complex health problems and is a leading research institution, receiving more than $116 million in sponsored research funding in fiscal year 2017. It is the 15th largest recipient of funding in the U.S. from the National Institutes of Health among independent hospitals. In 1997, BMC founded Boston Medical Center Health Plan, Inc., now one of the top ranked Medicaid MCOs in the country, as a non-profit managed care organization. Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine are partners in the Boston HealthNet – 14 community health centers focused on providing exceptional health care to residents of Boston. For more information, please visit http://www.bmc.org.
About Madison Park Technical Vocational High School
Madison Park Technical Vocational High School is Boston’s only vocational and technical high school providing rich training in 16 vocational tracks. The mission of the Madison Park Technical Vocational High School is to provide our students with rigorous academic and technical educational programs and the character necessary to further pursue and succeed in postsecondary and career opportunities in order to become productive citizens.
https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/madisonpark
About The Possible Project
The Possible Project works to instill an entrepreneurial mindset in our students, developing the social-emotional skills necessary to work collaboratively and solve problems in a high-level career path. We guide students through a dynamic curriculum, including hands-on work experience and individualized career planning, to develop the personal qualities that predict future professional success. https://possibleproject.org/
Source: Timothy Viall
Senior Media Relations Specialist
Boston Medical Center
Monday, December 10, 2018
What's up at the East Boston Library: Holiday Clarinet Concert - December 15
Holiday Clarinet Concert
Saturday, December 15th at 3 p.m.
East Boston Branch Library
Join Nicole DeMaio and Bradley Frizzell for a Holiday Clarinet Concert! We'll be playing many Christmas, Hanukkah, and Winter favorite songs. We welcome kids and families, free admission.
For more information, call (617) 569-0271.
Friday, December 7, 2018
December 12: Hearing on Proposed Porter Street Pot Shop
Notice of Public Meeting
Notice is hereby given that a Community Outreach Meeting for a Proposed Marijuana Establishment is scheduled for:
Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: East Boston Social Center: 68 Central Square, East Boston, MA 02128
The Proposed Marijuana Establishment is anticipated to be located at 24 Porter Street, East Boston, MA 02128
There will be an opportunity to ask questions.
Related news story from the Boston Herald.
Notice is hereby given that a Community Outreach Meeting for a Proposed Marijuana Establishment is scheduled for:
Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: East Boston Social Center: 68 Central Square, East Boston, MA 02128
The Proposed Marijuana Establishment is anticipated to be located at 24 Porter Street, East Boston, MA 02128
There will be an opportunity to ask questions.
Related news story from the Boston Herald.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Suffolk County DA-Elect Rachael Rollins Announces Transition Team
(BOSTON, December 6, 2018) - Suffolk County District Attorney-elect Rachael Rollins is pleased to announce the formation of her transition team, a collection of retired judges and law enforcement officials, returning citizens, former prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, clergy members, academics, and select members of the local community who, by their lived experiences, reflect the vast and varied means by which a prosecutor’s office engages with the community it serves.
The team’s work will be guided by Rollins’ transition co-chairs, Martin Murphy of Foley Hoag and Natashia Tidwell of Hogan Lovells, and a six-member steering committee comprised of talented and experienced criminal defense attorneys, former prosecutors, and recognized experts in community engagement.
Transition Steering Committee
Reverend Willie Bodrick, II is an ordained Baptist minister serving as the Associate Pastor of the Historic Twelfth Baptist Church in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. He also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Roxbury YMCA and as the Chairperson of the Boston Network for Black Student Achievement. Rev. Bodrick is a 2010 graduate of Georgetown University (BA) and 2014 graduate from Harvard Divinity School (M. Div.). He previously served as the Outreach Coordinator in the Community Engagement Division of the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General Maura Healey. Rev. Bodrick is currently a second year (2L) Juris Doctor candidate at Northeastern University School of Law. He is a proud member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Nurys Camargo is the Regional Director of External Affairs for AT&T Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Prior to AT&T, Camargo was a Senior Policy Advisor for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, where she worked on various issues surrounding youth violence, witness protection and reentry. Camargo is the founder of Chica Project, a year-long social enterprise for Latinas and women of color ages 14-18, which is devoted to closing the opportunity divide for young women. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from Baruch College in New York City, and a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Mount Ida College.
Jessica D. Hedges is a founding partner of the firm Hedges & Tumposky, LLP, a Boston firm focusing on criminal defense and civil rights litigation. Much of Hedges’ professional life is inspired by her conviction that over-reliance on incarceration is a source of social ills rather than a remedy for them. Thus, in addition to traditional advocacy she devotes significant professional energy to supporting, developing, and teaching about meaningful alternatives to incarceration. Hedges taught the Criminal Advocacy Clinic at Northeastern University School of Law for several years, where she instructed students in trial advocacy skills, and supervised them in actual representations in district courts. She was also selected by the United States District Court of Massachusetts to be the Chair of the Criminal Justice Act Board, which assists the court in the selection and administration of the Criminal Justice Act Panel, a slate of attorneys who are authorized to accept court appointments on behalf of indigent defendants. The Board acts as a liaison between the Court and the defense bar and advises the Court on matters pertaining to the practices and policies of the Court.
Justice (Ret.) Geraldine Hines is the Huber Visiting Professor at Boston College Law School having previously served as an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”). The first black woman ever appointed to the SJC, Justice Hines served the judiciary and the Commonwealth with distinction for 16 years. A Mississippi native, Justice Hines graduated from Tougaloo College and the University of Wisconsin Law School. Upon graduation she became a staff attorney at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, engaging in prisoner's rights litigation, and then practiced criminal law with the Roxbury Defenders' Committee in positions of progressively greater responsibility culminating as the Director of the Committee. Following her tenure as a staff attorney at the Harvard University Center for Law and Education, Justice Hines entered private practice, appearing in state and federal courts on criminal, administrative, labor and family law matters. Of particular note, she continued to litigate civil rights cases, including employment discrimination and police misconduct claims, as a founding partner in the first law firm of women of color in the New England region. She began her judicial career in 2001 as an associate justice of the Superior Court and served on the Appeals Court for one year before her appointment to the SJC in 2014 where she sat until her retirement in 2017.
Daniel P. Mulhern is Senior Advisor to Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Director of the City of Boston’s Office of Public Safety. Mulhern is responsible for establishing cross agency and cabinet coordination to tackle the challenging and complex problems that lead to and perpetuate violence. Prior to joining the Walsh administration, Mulhern was a prosecutor for close to fifteen years and Chief of the Gang and Safe Neighborhood Unit in Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s Office. Mulhern has been recognized locally and nationally for his work in public safety and community partnerships.
Donna Patalano previously served as Chief of Professional Integrity & Ethics at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. In that role, she worked to create the state's first Conviction Integrity Program and served as chief of the office's Training Program. In 2015, the SJC appointed her chair of the Board of Bar Overseers, the agency responsible for the discipline of state’s 60,000 active attorneys. Patalano appeared regularly in the Supreme Judicial Court, Appeals Court, and Suffolk Superior Court, both as a prosecutor and as appellate counsel for indigent clients. She served as a member of the SJC's Committee on Grand Jury Practice, Winchester's Zoning Board of Appeals, and as chair for its Town Counsel Search Advisory Committee. She currently is a member of the Mass Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section Council. Following her graduation from Boston College Law School, she clerked for the Honorable Elspeth Cypher, Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court.
Source: Donna Patalano
The team’s work will be guided by Rollins’ transition co-chairs, Martin Murphy of Foley Hoag and Natashia Tidwell of Hogan Lovells, and a six-member steering committee comprised of talented and experienced criminal defense attorneys, former prosecutors, and recognized experts in community engagement.
Transition Steering Committee
Reverend Willie Bodrick, II is an ordained Baptist minister serving as the Associate Pastor of the Historic Twelfth Baptist Church in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. He also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Roxbury YMCA and as the Chairperson of the Boston Network for Black Student Achievement. Rev. Bodrick is a 2010 graduate of Georgetown University (BA) and 2014 graduate from Harvard Divinity School (M. Div.). He previously served as the Outreach Coordinator in the Community Engagement Division of the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General Maura Healey. Rev. Bodrick is currently a second year (2L) Juris Doctor candidate at Northeastern University School of Law. He is a proud member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Nurys Camargo is the Regional Director of External Affairs for AT&T Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Prior to AT&T, Camargo was a Senior Policy Advisor for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, where she worked on various issues surrounding youth violence, witness protection and reentry. Camargo is the founder of Chica Project, a year-long social enterprise for Latinas and women of color ages 14-18, which is devoted to closing the opportunity divide for young women. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from Baruch College in New York City, and a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Mount Ida College.
Jessica D. Hedges is a founding partner of the firm Hedges & Tumposky, LLP, a Boston firm focusing on criminal defense and civil rights litigation. Much of Hedges’ professional life is inspired by her conviction that over-reliance on incarceration is a source of social ills rather than a remedy for them. Thus, in addition to traditional advocacy she devotes significant professional energy to supporting, developing, and teaching about meaningful alternatives to incarceration. Hedges taught the Criminal Advocacy Clinic at Northeastern University School of Law for several years, where she instructed students in trial advocacy skills, and supervised them in actual representations in district courts. She was also selected by the United States District Court of Massachusetts to be the Chair of the Criminal Justice Act Board, which assists the court in the selection and administration of the Criminal Justice Act Panel, a slate of attorneys who are authorized to accept court appointments on behalf of indigent defendants. The Board acts as a liaison between the Court and the defense bar and advises the Court on matters pertaining to the practices and policies of the Court.
Justice (Ret.) Geraldine Hines is the Huber Visiting Professor at Boston College Law School having previously served as an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”). The first black woman ever appointed to the SJC, Justice Hines served the judiciary and the Commonwealth with distinction for 16 years. A Mississippi native, Justice Hines graduated from Tougaloo College and the University of Wisconsin Law School. Upon graduation she became a staff attorney at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, engaging in prisoner's rights litigation, and then practiced criminal law with the Roxbury Defenders' Committee in positions of progressively greater responsibility culminating as the Director of the Committee. Following her tenure as a staff attorney at the Harvard University Center for Law and Education, Justice Hines entered private practice, appearing in state and federal courts on criminal, administrative, labor and family law matters. Of particular note, she continued to litigate civil rights cases, including employment discrimination and police misconduct claims, as a founding partner in the first law firm of women of color in the New England region. She began her judicial career in 2001 as an associate justice of the Superior Court and served on the Appeals Court for one year before her appointment to the SJC in 2014 where she sat until her retirement in 2017.
Daniel P. Mulhern is Senior Advisor to Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Director of the City of Boston’s Office of Public Safety. Mulhern is responsible for establishing cross agency and cabinet coordination to tackle the challenging and complex problems that lead to and perpetuate violence. Prior to joining the Walsh administration, Mulhern was a prosecutor for close to fifteen years and Chief of the Gang and Safe Neighborhood Unit in Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s Office. Mulhern has been recognized locally and nationally for his work in public safety and community partnerships.
Donna Patalano previously served as Chief of Professional Integrity & Ethics at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. In that role, she worked to create the state's first Conviction Integrity Program and served as chief of the office's Training Program. In 2015, the SJC appointed her chair of the Board of Bar Overseers, the agency responsible for the discipline of state’s 60,000 active attorneys. Patalano appeared regularly in the Supreme Judicial Court, Appeals Court, and Suffolk Superior Court, both as a prosecutor and as appellate counsel for indigent clients. She served as a member of the SJC's Committee on Grand Jury Practice, Winchester's Zoning Board of Appeals, and as chair for its Town Counsel Search Advisory Committee. She currently is a member of the Mass Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section Council. Following her graduation from Boston College Law School, she clerked for the Honorable Elspeth Cypher, Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court.
Source: Donna Patalano
Monday, December 3, 2018
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