Three candidates for Boston’s top prosecutor position, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden, former Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins, and former Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Linda Champion, faced off in a tense forum in Roxbury. The debate came ahead of the Democratic primary, where the candidates made their cases to voters.
Candidate Backgrounds
Rollins was elected to the position in 2018 and held it until 2022, when she became U.S. attorney for Massachusetts under then-President Joe Biden. However, she resigned the following year after reports from watchdogs, including the Department of Justice’s inspector general, outlined a litany of misconduct allegations against her.
Among the allegations was that Rollins leaked information aiming to sabotage Hayden, then acting district attorney, in his campaign to succeed her, favoring his competitor, then-Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo. Hayden fired back at Rollins during the forum, stating, “This person left her job, and now she wants it back, cause nothing else worked out for her, and it didn’t work out for her because of her lack of ethics and integrity.”
Crime and Safety
The candidates also discussed crime in the city, with Rollins pointing to an uptick in shootings and homicides in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. Hayden, however, highlighted lower crime rates, stating that the number of people shot and not killed in Boston was at an all-time recorded low of 103 last year.
Champion criticized both candidates who have led the office, saying, “I don’t care who has held the seat, there has been no change.” She emphasized the need for a new direction, stating, “It’s about making sure every child in our community has safe streets and safe neighborhoods.”
Bodycam Footage
The candidates also addressed the issue of bodycam footage in the deadly shooting of Stephenson King by Boston Police Officer Nicholas O’Malley, who has been charged with manslaughter. A civil rights group has sued the police department and district attorney’s office for the footage, which Hayden has said will not be released. Rollins and Champion, however, believe the footage should be made public.
Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.
