I oppose the death penalty and have voted against its reinstitution in Massachusetts
The death penalty wouldn’t make Massachusetts one bit safer. People who commit awful crimes are uniformly people who have little regard for the consequences of their actions — they will not be deterred by the threat of death.
Also, as an experienced criminal trial attorney, I know that mistakes are possible in any system. The risk of tragic error in a death penalty system is all too real.
I strongly support funding for victim-witness advocate programs. I believe that the personal support that we give to victims is vitally important to their recovery.