BOSTON, Sept. 25, 2018—A senior member of Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s executive staff has been named to serve out the remainder of Conley’s term when he steps down tomorrow as the chief law enforcement officer for Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker today announced that he had selected Assistant District Attorney John P. Pappas of West Roxbury to lead the Suffolk DA’s office after Conley departs an office he has led for more than 16 years. A Suffolk prosecutor since 1994, Pappas has served as Conley’s chief trial counsel since 2011.

“Governor Baker has made an outstanding selection,” Conley said. “John Pappas worked his way up from attending law school at night to supervising more than 150 lawyers responsible for tens of thousands of cases each year. He’s served the people of Suffolk County at every level of the office. As Chief Trial Counsel, he is highly respected by our staff, the bench, and the defense bar. And as an assistant district attorney assigned to some of Boston’s most serious violent crimes, he embraces our mission to speak for victims and pursue the interests of justice, in and out of the courtroom. There is no question that Mr. Pappas is qualified to lead the office, inspire his team, and serve the public as Suffolk County District Attorney. He has my utmost trust and confidence as he does so in the weeks and months to come.”

Pappas pledged to continue the work of the office and ensure a smooth transition with Suffolk County’s next elected district attorney.

“I’m deeply grateful to Governor Baker for the opportunity to continue the legacy of innovation, excellence, and service that District Attorney Conley has built over the past 16 years,” Pappas said. “I’m honored by the chance to lead an office of such talented, dedicated, and compassionate men and women who work so hard to achieve justice for the people of Suffolk County. And I am indebted to the individuals, families, and communities who have taught me so much in my years as a prosecutor. Our work together will continue seamlessly in the weeks and months to come.”

The first-generation son of Greek immigrants and a lifelong resident of Boston, Pappas has served as one of Conley’s top staffers for the past seven years. In his current position, he provides legal and strategic guidance to Superior Court prosecutors from the grand jury stage to trial; evaluates wrongful conviction and other post-conviction claims; and carries a full caseload of complex homicide investigations and prosecutions. Prior to that assignment, he served for a decade in the DA’s Homicide Unit, Senior Trial Unit, Gang Unit, and General Felony Unit. Prior to those assignments, he was a line prosecutor and then a supervising prosecutor in the Boston Municipal Court and East Boston District Court.

Pappas is a graduate of Boston Latin School, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and New England School of Law, where he attended the night division, wrote for the New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement, and earned his juris doctorate in 1993. From 1996 to 1997, he taught as an adjunct trial practice instructor at Suffolk University Law School. He was recognized by his colleagues with the 2003 Suffolk Award for Outstanding Superior Court Prosecutor and, more recently, was presented with the 2016 William C. O’Malley Prosecutor of the Year Award by the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association.

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