Dan Conley Case Study
Dan Conley currently serves as the incumbent District Attorney of Suffolk County, the position which he has held since 2002. His journey to the DA’s office was a long one, and he has seen much success along the way. After graduating from Stonehill College, Dan Conley attended Suffolk University Law School and passed the Massachusetts Bar Exam in 1983. Born and raised in Suffolk County, Conley decided to join the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA). During his time as an ADA, Conley started in the Boston Juvenile Court, prosecuting on juvenile cases. Later he would work in the Suffolk Superior court, where he handled homicides, drug-trafficking, and gang-violence cases. Conley is known for being
one of the founding members of Boston’s first anti-gang violence task force. After serving as an ADA for 9 years, Conley ran for the position of City Councilor in 1994, where he would win the District 5 seat. Due to his experience working with criminals as an ADA, Conley served on and off as the Chairman of the Council’s Public Safety Committee for 8 years. In February of 2002, Dan Conley won the seat of Suffolk County District Attorney, where he has been serving and innovating for the past 14 years. The Suffolk County DA’s Office was the first to have a Conviction Integrity Program in Massachusetts, where cases of wrongful conviction are studied, brought back to court, and prevented. He also created policy which continued legal training and education for attorneys in his office, in order to create a more educated and informed team of prosecutors. He teamed up with the Boston Police Department and largely innovated the use of eyewitness evidence and testimony, the use of DNA testing before and after conviction, and even the sentencing of teenagers arrested for prostitution, deciding to treat them as victims instead of criminals. Dan Conley is also known for the creation of a Gun Court to specifically deal with and address gun violence, and for the creation of the Family Justice Center, which provides services to victims of child abuse, partner violence, and sexual crimes. While he continues to innovate and serve our county, Dan Conley lives in West Roxbury with his wife and two children.
one of the founding members of Boston’s first anti-gang violence task force. After serving as an ADA for 9 years, Conley ran for the position of City Councilor in 1994, where he would win the District 5 seat. Due to his experience working with criminals as an ADA, Conley served on and off as the Chairman of the Council’s Public Safety Committee for 8 years. In February of 2002, Dan Conley won the seat of Suffolk County District Attorney, where he has been serving and innovating for the past 14 years. The Suffolk County DA’s Office was the first to have a Conviction Integrity Program in Massachusetts, where cases of wrongful conviction are studied, brought back to court, and prevented. He also created policy which continued legal training and education for attorneys in his office, in order to create a more educated and informed team of prosecutors. He teamed up with the Boston Police Department and largely innovated the use of eyewitness evidence and testimony, the use of DNA testing before and after conviction, and even the sentencing of teenagers arrested for prostitution, deciding to treat them as victims instead of criminals. Dan Conley is also known for the creation of a Gun Court to specifically deal with and address gun violence, and for the creation of the Family Justice Center, which provides services to victims of child abuse, partner violence, and sexual crimes. While he continues to innovate and serve our county, Dan Conley lives in West Roxbury with his wife and two children.