BOSTON, Jan. 29, 2019—Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins joined local, state, and federal officials along with the leaders of public, private, and non-profit agencies today to adopt updated protocols protecting the young victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.

District Attorney Rollins was among dozens of representatives of law enforcement, medical and mental health care, human services, youth advocacy, education, and other disciplines at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County who signed a memorandum of understanding outlining their responsibilities as participants in the Support to End Exploitation Now (SEEN) coalition. The MOU codifies policies and practices that have evolved since the coalition was first formed more than a decade ago. more »

BOSTON, Jan. 10, 2019—Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins announced today that Jennifer Grace Miller will be her Chief of Staff, citing her broad experience in senior government positions, including stints at two statewide law enforcement agencies. Miller’s first day will be Feb. 1, 2019.

Miller has most recently served as Counsel to the Massachusetts Senate, where she was the chief legal counsel to 40 senators and approximately 200 staff members. Prior to joining the Senate, Miller was Chief of the Government Bureau in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office. As Chief, Miller supervised roughly 100 lawyers and staff in three divisions. She previously served as the Bureau’s Deputy Chief and as an assistant attorney general in the Administrative Law Division, focusing primarily on civil appellate work. Among other high-profile litigation, Miller argued the Massachusetts buffer zone case, McCullen v. Coakley, at the United States Supreme Court.

Miller began her public service career as Senior Staff Counsel at the Supreme Judicial Court. She then served as Assistant Solicitor General in the New York Attorney General’s office.

“Jennifer Grace Miller is a smart, dedicated public servant with deep experience managing complex government institutions and sophisticated litigation,” District Attorney Rollins said. “She has worked in all three branches of government and will bring a trusted set of skills and perspective to the District Attorney’s office.”

“Jennifer has been a wonderful asset to the state Senate, providing a steady hand through difficult times,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka. “Jennifer’s professionalism, intellect, and caring nature will serve her well as she steps into her role with District Attorney Rollins, and we wish her all the best.”

Prior to entering the public sector, Miller was a litigation associate at two national firms, Goodwin Proctor in Boston and Weil Gotshal in New York. She received her law degree from Boston University in 1993 and her undergraduate degree from Columbia University in 1989.

Among other honors, Miller was inducted into the Lawyer’s Weekly “Circle of Excellence” and received the Boston University Public Interest Project Pro Bono Award, given to alumni who have demonstrated a commitment to public service. She also serves as a Commissioner on the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission.

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BOSTON, Jan. 2, 2019—District Attorney Rachael Rollins was sworn in today as Suffolk County’s 16th district attorney, the first woman elected to that position, and the first woman of color to serve as a district attorney anywhere in Massachusetts.

Rollins was administered the oath of office by Geraldine Hines, a former associate justice of the Supreme Judicial Court and the first woman of color to serve on that high court. She in turn swore in about 150 Suffolk County prosecutors whom she oversees as the chief law enforcement officer for Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Massachusetts.

The standing room only ceremony was held at Roxbury Community College and featured elected officials, faith leaders, current and former members of the Massachusetts bench, law enforcement officials from across the region, community members from all walks of life, and members of Rollins’ family.

An attorney for 20 years with degrees from the Northeastern University School of Law and the Georgetown University Law Center, Rollins had previously served as a field attorney at the National Labor Relations Board in Boston and as an attorney with the law firm of Bingham McCutchen including a rotation through the Plymouth County District Attorney’s office. She handled civil and criminal matters as a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney’s office in Boston for four years before serving as general counsel for both MassDOT and the MBTA, and went on to become the chief legal counsel for the Massachusetts Port Authority.

A cancer survivor, a mother, and an aunt with custody of two nieces, Rollins was elected to her current position at the age of 47 with a mandate to change, reform, and improve the criminal justice system. She pledged to use that platform locally and nationally with the support and assistance of her prosecution staff and professionals from many other fields of expertise as well.

“We have a big job ahead of us – changing perceptions and expectations of how the criminal justice system can best serve the community, and how necessary other disciplines are to our shared success,” she said. “Professionals in education, medical and mental health, social services, housing, and many other fields all play a part in public safety and we need their collaboration as surely as we need police and prosecutors. Positive change is in the air, and I’m looking forward to achieving it together with the people of Suffolk County.”

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.