Kelleher, Victoria

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So far Kelleher, Victoria has created 15 blog entries.

MACDL Mourns the Passing of Joe Balliro

By Victoria Kelleher, Past President, MACDL

Joe Balliro Sr., a giant of the defense bar, passed away peacefully on August 10, 2022. His impact on the defense community is difficult to overstate. He possessed both passion and unshakeable dignity. He remained true to the profession’s highest calling — he had the guts to challenge the abuse of authority, the intellect to choose his words carefully, and the wherewithal to bring […]

By |2022-08-21T10:13:52-04:00August 21st, 2022|News|Comments Off on MACDL Mourns the Passing of Joe Balliro

Letter from Suffolk County District Attorney

September 22, 2020

MACDL and CPCS received a letter from Rachael Rollins, Suffolk County District Attorney, regarding the federal charges recently announced against nine current and retired Boston Police Department Officers. In the letter Rachel Rollins states, “I am deeply dismayed by the allegations outlined in federal court. If these allegations are true, these men and women have dishonored their badges by stealing taxpayer dollars on multiple occasions over a […]

By |2020-09-28T23:30:05-04:00September 28th, 2020|News|Comments Off on Letter from Suffolk County District Attorney

MACDL Supports the Mass Bail Fund

Bail is not a form of punishment. It is set in almost every case to ensure that those charged with a crime return to court during the lengthy period that it may take for the case to resolve. If bail is set in an amount the person can’t afford, he or she will be held in jail without any conviction. In other words, based solely on probable cause to […]

By |2020-08-13T18:37:21-04:00August 13th, 2020|Action Alert, President's Messages|Comments Off on MACDL Supports the Mass Bail Fund

Follow Up on Letter to Judiciary

July 31, 2020

Dear Chief Justices Gants, Carey, Ronquillo, Fabricant and Dawley,

On behalf of MACDL, we thank you for the opportunity to meet via Zoom on July 22, 2020, along with members from the Committee for Pubic Counsel Services, to discuss the issues raised in our July 14, 2020 letter to you. We are pleased and grateful that you expressed a willingness to listen to our concerns and to work with […]

By |2020-08-05T12:44:44-04:00August 5th, 2020|News|Comments Off on Follow Up on Letter to Judiciary

Letter to the Judiciary Opposing Phase 3 Reopening

We have received numerous calls and emails from members who are understandably distressed by the Phase 3 reopening of the state courts, which includes mandatory, in-person appearances for non-emergency hearings such as summons arraignments. In response, MACDL’s Board addressed a letter to Chief Justice Gants and Chief Justice Carey citing our concerns, along with the following proposals:

  1. Suspend the plan to require in person appearances for non-emergency matters […]
By |2020-07-14T21:39:49-04:00July 14th, 2020|Action Alert, President's Messages|Comments Off on Letter to the Judiciary Opposing Phase 3 Reopening

Take the ABA’s 21 Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge

JOIN MACDL MEMBERS in the ABA’s 21 Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge. We will read the materials, split up into four separate sections, and meet weekly to discuss. Discussion dates are: July 8th, July 15th, July 22nd, July 29th (Wednesdays from 4–5pm). Please register in advance for this meeting:

ZOOM Link to Register for the Challenge

After registering, you will receive a confirmation […]

By |2020-09-14T19:36:34-04:00July 1st, 2020|Past Events|Comments Off on Take the ABA’s 21 Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge

Racial Justice Task Force Meeting


NOW at 3pm on TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020


AS CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS, we are on the front line in a criminal system that tears apart Black communities through violence and incarceration, and we are uniquely situated to dismantle it. MACDL’s Racial Justice Task Force Meeting will be TUESDAY, JUNE 30th at 3pm. After a brief introduction, all […]

By |2020-06-30T21:31:08-04:00June 30th, 2020|Past Events|Comments Off on Racial Justice Task Force Meeting

Dismantling Structural Racism in the Commonwealth’s Criminal Courts

June 15, 2020 — In reply to the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court


MACDL’s Board of Directors and Racial Justice Committee take seriously the Supreme Judicial Court’s declaration that we all must all harness the power and privilege that comes with our professional accomplishments to end racial injustice. There is no neutrality in racism; failing to take aggressive measures allows racist […]

By |2020-06-15T19:59:06-04:00June 15th, 2020|News|Comments Off on Dismantling Structural Racism in the Commonwealth’s Criminal Courts

Say Their Names

The Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is outraged by the most recent show of force and violence against Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, events that are endemic to Black America and reflect the history of racism and oppression in this country.

But it is not enough to be outraged. We must confront how our criminal justice system has failed people of color.

Our system has perpetuated racism […]

By |2020-06-01T16:53:43-04:00June 1st, 2020|News, President's Messages|Comments Off on Say Their Names

The Pandemic Shouldn’t Deprive Prisoners of Their Rights

Commentary by MACDL Board president, Victoria Kelleher, posted on the WBUR website.


Last week, several men and women with preexisting health concerns were released from pretrial custody — some to home confinement, some with GPS monitoring — by agreement with the Suffolk County prosecutor. Each represented one less person imprisoned without due process; one less person to get infected with the coronavirus behind bars.

Since […]

By |2020-03-24T15:24:41-04:00March 24th, 2020|News, President's Messages|Comments Off on The Pandemic Shouldn’t Deprive Prisoners of Their Rights
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