They Call It the Rollins Revolution (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

When Rachel Rollins ran for the District Attorney of Suffolk County, Massachusetts, she pledged to dismiss most “low-level” cases rather than prosecute them. By that, she meant to drop or not pursue most nonviolent crimes. She even published a list of 15 such crimes that, in her words, were “most commonly driven by poverty, substance abuse, or other social problems.” To her, this was just taking a “more holistic” approach to enforcing the law; considering “not just the victim, but the defendant and the community,” as well.

Now, six months into her term, the Boston Globe has conducted an investigation, chronicling the impacts of her approach in a well written article. I won’t attempt to repeat their excellent work; rather, I commend it to you. **

As you might expect, this unusual approach has brought her a great deal of scrutiny ... and not a few detractors. Criminal defense attorneys praise her efforts. That’s not surprising. It’s the police officers who enforce the laws and the judges who determine the outcome of criminal cases that most object to her approach. The police intend to continue arresting law breakers, regardless of what the DA’s office does, but they don’t appreciate that their hard work may be for nought.

The judges are, maybe, the most unhappy. They point out that this new approach prevents them from even seeing defendants in need of such things as, say, drug rehabilitation ... because they often never appear before the judge in the first place. The judges feel they are precluded from sentencing them to the needed interventions.

The Globe article noted that past DAs operated in a similar manner, eventually dismissing over 60% of the same kinds of cases ... they just didn’t advertise it. What makes Rollins different is that she was quite open about her plans.

One other thing, though.

Rachel Rollins is the first woman of color to serve as Suffolk County District Attorney. Research indicates that, in the past, under previous DAs, people of color were “three to four times more likely to be charged with those same 15 offenses.”

Is this a good approach? I have no idea. It’s certainly a complex situation. Only time will truly tell if society is better served this way. What stands out to me, and what I find thought-provoking, is her focus on all of the persons involved, not just the victim.

And with that in mind, I note there is a theme of justice and mercy running through this week’s scriptures. In the book of Amos, God condemns the nation’s leaders for using the law to ensure the poor and downtrodden remain poor and downtrodden. They cheated their poor and powerless in the marketplace and in the courtroom.

In Psalm 82, God takes the judges to task for judging unjustly, for showing partiality to the wicked. God demanded they “Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

In Psalm 25, the psalmist acknowledges his lawlessness and then begs for God’s mercy, something for which he hopes but does not claim to deserve. In Luke, Jesus, speaking of the mercy shown by the hated Samaritan says, “Go and do likewise.”

What does it all mean for us? Clearly, there is a place for mercy in our dealings with others, to show to others the same mercy we want for ourselves. But, society cannot allow criminals to do as they wish, especially if their actions will harm others. If unchecked, where would that lead?

We are going to disagree on this kind of endeavor. Some of us will see it from one perspective and some of us from a diametrically opposite position. And some of us will view it from some third, hybrid point. But there is, I believe one course of action which we can all take together.

In the letter to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul declares he had not ceased praying for a group of people he had likely never laid eyes on. He did so because he believed they were precious to Jesus. We could imitate that. At a minimum, we could do likewise ... pray for DA Rollins, her staff, the police, the accused, the victims, the judges, and the community.

Now that would be a revolution.

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** Globe article: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/07/06/stopping-injustice-putting-public-risk-suffolk-rachael-rollins-tactics-spur-pushback/IFC6Rp4tVHiVhOf2t97bFI/story.html?outputType=amp


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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 10 (15) (July 14, 2019)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=270

Amos 7:7-17
Psalm 82
Deuteronomy 30:9-14
Psalm 25:1-10
Colossians 1:1-14
Luke 10:25-37
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Friday mornings are special at DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. Yes, we eat. And it’s good. But we also have a prayer, and we read selected scriptures. And then we talk about them.

Meet with us at 8:00 at the Waco “Egg and I” restaurant. If you haven’t been, you can’t imagine how satisfying an experience that all is. What an hour.

Blessings,
Steve