Members of the Senate Republican Caucus joined with 16 of their Democratic colleagues yesterday to call on the state's Parole Board to temporarily suspend all parole hearings until an investigation is completed into the December 26th shooting death of Woburn police officer John Maguire by parolee Dominic Cinelli. Cinelli was paroled in 2009, despite being sentenced to three concurrent life terms stemming from a lengthy list of criminal offenses.The bi-partisan coalition of senators submitted a letter to Parole Board Chairman Mark Conrad yesterday, requesting that he implement an "immediate moratorium" on parole hearings until the board completes its review.
"To allow the scheduled hearings to proceed as planned, without taking corrective measures to prevent another senseless tragedy, would be a slap in the face to those individuals and families who have been victimized by violent crimes," the senators wrote. "Protecting the safety of the residents of the Commonwealth is of the utmost importance, and we are prepared to work with you to implement the reforms needed to accomplish this goal."
