Martha Coakley's record as a prosecutor
By adamg - 9/9/09 - 8:32 am
WBUR takes a look at the high-profile cases Coakley led as Middlesex County district attorney, starting with the Louise Woodward case.
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Comments
Fells Acres
I"m sure she's done some good work in other areas, but I have trouble voting for someone who was part of the Fells Acres fiasco. To my knowledge, she has never apologized for the DA's actions in that case.
Questionable Judgement
I always questioned, from a medical if not legal standpoint, why she never included the Eappens in her list of possible suspects. There was really no reason for her to cozy up to the parents when there was equivocal evidence about timing and injuries to Matthew Eappen.
She also showed questionable judgement when it came to the Mooninite situation.
She has no legislative experience, either - not even at the local level.
I don't see why she should be made a senator and put on yet another national stage to make an ass of herself and her crusades.
working class hero
And this comment from a very progressive voter. Am i right?
I second your concern about her legislative experience. None.
I don't question Martha's liberal bona fides on the issues but I do question her commitment to the least powerful as a focus instead of the most powerful among us. And I think her world view of law and order lacks the experience of someone who has done criminal defense work.
Here's my problem with the Mooninite incident. I don't understand why she would exact an apology and community service from two guys who were clearly not planting a hoax device to cause fear, and clearly not domestic terrorists. When she dropped the charges, why didn't she apologize for making the unmerited charges which costs these two guys lawyers fees, time and public infamy? Instead she made them apologize and perform community service. Were is the justice in exacting a penalty for two people you agree are not guilty of a crime?
Louise Woodward ended up with time served on appeal, 296 days, a far cry from 15 years for 2nd degree murder. Dr and Dr Eappen were not suspects even though evidence presented at trial identified injuries that occurred prior to Louise' engagement.
Martha had her own Sonia Sotomayor moment, claiming women are better prepared than men to run for office. watch. All I can say is, What was she thinking? You don't have to be a political savant to know that claiming superiority by virtue of gender (gender politics) is going to cause a unwelcome backlash.
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Coakley: politically correct authoritarian
Coakley is no less an authoritarian than your average right-wing Republican. The difference is that her authoritarianism is always cloaked in the language of "protecting the children" or the like. A nanny-statist to the core. Look to her to vote for every fascist bill the Republicans put in front of her.
The Mooninite incident indicates she has no idea about what a free society has to tolerate to remain free.
She will always default to the interests of Power, while maintaining she is a "tough prosecutor" (of the poor and powerless).
She'll probably win in this weak a field.
A giant succeeded by pygmies.