The Globe’s Spotlight investigation exposes a systemic breakdown where prosecutors enable police misconduct rather than check it (“When police are allowed to police themselves,” Page A1, Jan. 2). When officers defy court orders or use dubious informants, prosecutors fight disclosure, drop charges, or offer generous pleas — anything to avoid scrutiny.
Consider Springfield Officer Felix Aguirre, branded a liar by a judge in 2018, yet still having more than 50 informant-based warrants approved. Or Detective Jeffrey Cahill, whose false sworn statements led prosecutors to defy a judge’s order rather than expose the lie. The pattern is clear: Protecting police trumps pursuing justice.
The solution lies with the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission and the Board of Bar Overseers. The POST Commission must decertify officers for the untruthfulness documented in this report — not just in one-off cases, but systematically. The board must investigate prosecutors who, as the article shows, “blindly defend police sources they know nothing about” and defy judicial orders to avoid revealing misconduct.
District attorneys have an absolute duty to disclose exculpatory evidence, including information in informant files. When prosecutors drop cases to bury police misconduct, as documented repeatedly in this investigation, they betray that duty.
True accountability requires looking into the “black box” that is the informant system. We need investigations into every instance where court orders were defied or cases dropped to protect bad cops. Only by disciplining those at the top can we ensure respect for citizens’ rights.
David A. Guberman
Newton
The writer is a retired lawyer.