April 26, 2006

ROMNEY NOMINATES FOUR WOMEN TO JUDICIARY

Governor Mitt Romney announced today that he has nominated four women to serve as judges in the Massachusetts trial court system, the largest number of female candidates ever brought forward at one time.

Romney has made the appointment of women to the state’s courts a priority, and recently asked his Judicial Nominating Council to bring forward the names of more female and minority applicants. If these four women are all confirmed by the Governor’s Council, women will represent 36% of the appointments made by Romney for judicial office, which includes judges and clerk magistrate positions.

“I am pleased with the outstanding qualifications of the individuals I have nominated to the bench,” Romney said. “They have the capability, the qualifications and the experience to be fair and balanced jurists.”

Nominated were:

• Kathe M. Tuttman of Andover, as Associate Justice of the Superior Court;
• Tracy L. Lyons of Marblehead, as Associate Justice of the Brighton division of the Boston Municipal Court;
• Therese M. Wright of West Barnstable, as Associate Justice of the Edgartown District Court; and,

Tuttman has served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Essex County District Attorney’s Office since 1989. During that time, she has held various positions, including Director of the Family Crimes and Sexual Assault Unit, Superior Court Prosecutor and Lead Prosecutor for Lawrence District Court’s Domestic Violence Unit. She has also served on the Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Advisory Group for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Tuttman graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University in 1974 and received her law degree from Suffolk University Law School, cum laude, in 1988.

Lyonshas been a sole practitioner in Boston since 2003, representing criminal and civil clients. She previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for 10 years. In this capacity, she was the Chief of the Sexual Assault Unit and a member of the Senior Trial Team Division, Major Felony Case Unit as well as the Child Abuse Unit. Prior to her years with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Lyons was an Assistant District Attorney in the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office for three years and a Victim Witness Advocate in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office from 1987 to 1990 while attending law school.

Lyons received her bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University in 1982 and her law degree from the New England School of Law in 1990.

Wright has served in the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office for many years. From 1989 through 1994, she was a prosecutor in the District Court and Superior Court. After two years as a Partner with the law firm of Sable and Wright, she worked as an assistant regional counsel with the Department of Social Services before returning to the District Attorney’s office in 1998. She has served as Chief of the Family Protection Unit and most recently has worked in the Appellate Division. Wright has also taught courses related to criminal justice at Stonehill College and Quincy College.

Wright attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, Boston in 1985. She received her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law in 1988.

Hopkins is the Chief of Staff to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. Prior to her two years as Chief of Staff, Hopkins was Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston and responsible for the direction of the city’s Legal Department. Hopkins was also a sole practitioner for five years with a criminal defense and civil litigation practice, and prior to that, served as a prosecutor in State District and Superior Courts with the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. Her specialization was white-collar crime and drug prosecutions. Hopkins started her career as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) specializing in racketeering investigations and personal and property crimes.

Hopkins completed her bachelor’s degree at Boston College in 1976 and received her law degree from Suffolk University School of Law in 1979.

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