Mara Dolan will make a great Governor’s Councillor for our district, and she deserves your vote on September 3 as the Democratic nominee.
The Governor’s Council plays a vital role in our Commonwealth. The eight Councillors meet weekly to record advice and consent on warrants for the treasury, pardons and commutations, and recording advice and consent to gubernatorial appointments.
Mara is a career public defender and will bring badly needed perspective to the Council. As a lawyer who has taken appointments to represent indigent defendants for 20 years, I know many judges are former prosecutors. Although they strive to be fair, their prior experience inevitably frames the way in which they view criminal defendants. Never having represented defendants, they don’t understand their circumstances or motivations.
Mara understands that crime is often the result of larger societal problems such as drugs, or the absence of mental health and other social service supports. This doesn’t mean that judges should be “softer” on defendants, but they should care about the defendant’s circumstances and services that could prevent re-offending. Mara will help get judges appointed who have compassion and perspective, and this will modernize the judiciary and ultimately reduce crime in the Commonwealth.
Mara also understands the importance of judges who are trained in, and knowledgeable about, criminal law. Our civil liberties depend on a network of state and federal laws that protect individuals from the arbitrary and excessive exercise of power by government officials. The liberties that we enjoy depend on judges who are knowledgeable about these evolving laws and not afraid to enforce them as a sanction against abuse of power. Mara will help make sure judges are highly trained and qualified.
Please remember to vote on September 3, and vote for Mara Dolan for Governor’s Council.
Dudley Goar
Upland Road