Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins will relinquish his official duties while extortion charges against him move along in federal court and a deputy will assume control of the department, the governor and attorney general announced last week.
The Democrat in the midst of a six-year term that runs through 2028 has faced questions about his ability to continue serving as sheriff while he faces charges that he used his official position to extort a marijuana company.
Gov. Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell said in a joint statement last Wednesday that the role of sheriff will be filled in the interim by Special Sheriff Mark Lawhorne “consistent with state law.” The governor’s office said the personnel change came at the request of Healey and Campbell.
“The allegations against Sheriff Tompkins are serious. The Suffolk County Sheriff is responsible for managing more than a thousand employees, hundreds of inmates, and programs that are essential to public safety and rehabilitation. It is a full-time job that demands full time attention,” Healey said.
“The people of Massachusetts need to be able to trust in the integrity of the criminal justice system and that their elected officials are fully engaged in the work of serving the public.”
–Colin A. Young
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