Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office released a midterm progress report this week, taking stock of her first two-plus years in office. Rollins joined Jim Braude on Greater Boston to discuss her time so far as top prosecutor for Boston and the surrounding communities, as well as the move to overturn a decades-old rape conviction after the victim said she was worried she had identified the wrong perpetrator.
Rollins credits the survivor with coming forward to essentially recant her statement after almost 50 years and acknowledge that race may have played a factor in the wrongful conviction.
“Back in the 70s, eyewitness testimony was the gold standard,” Rollins said, “We know now in 2021 — we still use eyewitness testimony, but it is inherently questioned. And when you add to that cross-racial identifications… they are even more problematic.”
Rollins said her office at the time also made mistakes. “I will no longer stand behind this conviction,” she added. “And I believe we mishandled evidence, even back almost 50 years ago. The standards were there, and we didn’t meet them.”
WATCH: Suffolk County D.A. Rollins on her midterm progress report and the Tyrone Clark case
