Boston City Councilors Henry Santana and Gabriela Coletta Zapata endorse Allison Cartwright for Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court in Suffolk County

June 13, 2024 - Today, Boston City Councilor at-Large Henry Santana and Boston District 1 City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata announced their endorsements of Allison S. Cartwright for Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court in Suffolk County.

Councilors Santana and Coletta Zapata’s support adds to Cartwright’s diverse and growing list of endorsers, including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, State Senator Lydia Edwards, State Senator William Brownsberger, State Senator Liz Miranda, State Senate Judiciary Chair Jamie Eldridge, House Majority Leader Mike Moran, State Representative Russell E. Holmes, Boston City Councilors Liz Breadon and Sharon Durkan, Winthrop Town Council Vice President Hannah Belcher, Revere City Councilors Marc Silvestri, Juan Jaramillo, and Joanne McKenna, Chelsea City Councilor at-Large Roberto Jiménez-Rivera, and UAW Region 9A.

“As Chair of the committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice, I know the systemic barriers and inequities our communities face when interacting with our legal system,” said Councilor Santana. “ Having spent her career as a public defender and court-appointed attorney, Allison Cartwright knows these struggles well, and is committed to justice, accessibility, and equity in our courts. I am proud to endorse Attorney Cartwright, who will serve Suffolk County with honesty and integrity.”

“Attorney Allison Cartwright has fought on behalf of Suffolk County’s most vulnerable residents for decades as a public defender,” said Councilor Coletta Zapata. “She amplifies the voices of those who are often overlooked, and equips staff to provide world-class defense and holistic support services to those who would struggle to afford it otherwise. Her informed perspective and immense qualifications would make her an excellent Clerk for our state’s highest court. I am proud to give her my endorsement.” 

“I am proud to have earned the endorsement of Councilor Santana and Councilor Coletta Zapata, with whom I share a commitment to equity and justice for all,” said Allison Cartwright.  “They understand that this role requires an informed legal perspective to deliver fair and accessible justice to all residents of Suffolk County. I look forward to working together in neighborhoods across Boston to amplify the voices of all residents.”

Allison S. Cartwright has over 30 years of legal experience and currently serves on the Committee for Public Counsel Services’s Public Defenders Division, where she oversees seventy-five public defenders, social workers, and investigators for Suffolk and Norfolk counties. She works daily to ensure that staff have the tools necessary to provide top notch defense, necessary services, and are able to protect fundamental constitutional and human rights. Over the course of her career, she has been appointed to and served on a number of boards, including Boston’s Police Reform Task Force, the Massachusetts Advisory Board on Probation, and the Governor's Restorative Justice Advisory Committee.

###