[redacted]
Lynn, MA 01902
Telephone [redacted] (voicemail and text only)
December 20, 2023
VIA EMAIL TO [email protected]
Marc Phinney, Public Records Officer
Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office
One Bullfinch Place
Boston, MA 02114
Re: Massachusetts Public Request # 23-0828
Dear Mr. Phinney:
Regarding Public Records Request #23-0828, which I submitted on August 28, 2023, I sought public records (subject to redaction) from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, as a matter of public interest, to learn whether or not former DA Rachael Rollins willfully leaked confidential information from an investigation of child rape at the Charlestown Boys Club in 1963 for the purpose of illegally shutting down that investigation. In fact, that investigation was later shut down when the investigating detective, Jeffrey Firnstein, was transferred out of the Boston Police Crimes Against Children Unit (CACU) and Sgt. Det. Pamela Harris of the CACU explicitly refused to assign a new detective to the investigation.
I understand that my request was granted and that the fees associated with the request were waived, according to emails you sent to me on November 28, 2023. In addition, I agreed to numerous extensions for the time you requested to do your work, which now total seventy business days. However, as of today, I gave not received any of the records I requested and you have not responded to my last December 15, 2023 request for the records, after telling me previously by email on November 28, 2023, that the records would be delivered to me no later than “the end of next week.”
I am not willing to grant further extensions. And I regret that my request has failed.
Given the history of rampant and overt obstruction in the case behind my request, including a congressional inquiry into the theft of my US mail, and now your unwillingness to explain the latest delay, the Public Records Office for the Suffolk County District Attorney no longer seems viable to me for obtaining the records I request. Therefore, I will proceed to Superior Court for help obtaining them.
I hope you appreciate my efforts to be respectful and patient in all my previous communications with your office.
And I am hopeful that you will settle my request by December 28, 2023, which is another five business days from today. Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
James Chester