You've probably seen at least one episode of the TV series "Law & Order" with its iconic theme music and the spoken words: "In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important, groups: the police, who investigate crime; and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories."
Well, the tidy representation of “justice” in the series is just television. In reality, criminal justice in America is a disaster for people of color and the poor who are often railroaded by "law & order" District Attorneys with close ties to both the police and the courts. While the state can throw hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars at a prosecution, the poor are represented by overworked public defenders. Consequently, 90% of all criminal cases in America are resolved by plea deals in order to have the prosecution drop exaggerated or even bogus charges in order to avoid cruel and unusual sentences.
In the end, given the sorry state of criminal "justice" in America, the choice of a District Attorney is extremely consequential, especially since they are elected officials. Incredibly, most Americans have no idea who their DA is or what they really do.
The NAACP may be non-partisan, but that doesn't mean they don't care about DA elections. This year the Bristol County DA race will be decided on September 6th in the Democratic Primary. There are no Republican challengers.
On Thursday, September 1st at 6:30pm the NAACP New Bedford Branch will host a Bristol County District Attorney Candidate Forum via Zoom webinar. Both incumbent DA Thomas Quinn III and challenger Shannon McMahon will join via Zoom. NAACP New Bedford Branch President, Dr. LaSella Hall, will moderate. To pose questions to either candidate, email them in advance to da-webinar@naacpnewbedford.org. Look for an official announcement shortly on the Branch's website: naacpnewbedford.org.
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