A split Governor's Council today voted to confirm Gov. Deval L. Patrick's four nominees to the state Parole Board to replace members who resigned after a violent parolee killed a Woburn patrolman in December.
Councilor Marilyn Devaney addressed the Governor's Council as the board voted to confirm four of Gov. Deval Patrick's nominees to the state Parole Board. Gov. Deval Patrick was forced to preside at the council meeting Wednesday so that Lt. Gov. Tim Murray (right) could break tie council votes and send Lucy Soto-Abbe and John Bocon to seats on the seven-member board.BOSTON - A divided state panel today voted to confirm Lucy Soto-Abbe of Springfield and three other nominees by Gov. Deval L. Patrick to the state Parole Board.
Amid concerns that Soto-Abbe's nomination would help stack the board with people from law enforcement, the Governor's Council voted 5-4 to approve her as a member.
Soto-Abbe has been an advocate for crime victims and witnesses the past 17 years in the Hampden District Attorney's Office.
The vote came after Patrick took the extraordinary step of chairing the meeting, allowing Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray to cast the deciding vote on Soto-Abbe and one other nominee, John M. Bocon, former chief probation officer in the U.S. Probation Office in Boston. The council also voted 5-4 to approve Bocon.
The council voted 8-1 to approve Charlotte M. Bonner, a forensic psychologist serving Plymouth County courts, and 6-3 in favor of Ina R. Howard-Hogan, currently general counsel to the parole board.
Lucy M. Soto-Abbe of Springfield, an advocate for victims and witnesses for the Hampden District Attorney, takes a question during her interview with the Governor's Council on Wednesday. Governor's Councilor Christopher A. Iannella of Boston said he voted against Soto-Abbe because 6 of 7 members of the board now have law-enforcement backgrounds.
"I like more of a diversity," he said. "I would like a defense attorney ... too many law enforcement people."
Councilor Marilyn M. P. Devaney, who supported Soto-Abbe, cited Soto-Abbe's upbringing in the north end of Springfield. She said Soto-Abbe has a record of being fair to offenders and working with judges in sentencing.
"She grew up in a tough section of Springfield," Devaney said. "She has relatives and friends who have committed crimes. Lucy at this time has a family member serving prison for being convicted of murder. She grew up in a family where there were various addictions."
She said no nominee has the life experience, background and qualifications of Soto-Abbe.
Five parole board members had resigned after they voted to release Dominic Cinelli.
Cinelli, the man who killed the Woburn officer, was serving three life sentences for assault and robbery convictions when he was released in early 2009. Cinelli died in a shoot-out with the officer, John B. Maguire in December.