Fall River Herald News Article Council challenger wants harsher sentences for re-offenders

By Will Richmond
Herald News Staff Reporter
Posted Sep 06, 2008 @ 06:46 PM

Last update Sep 07, 2008 @ 01:05 AM

Oliver Cipollini has his eyes on the District 1 seat on the Governor's Council, and he says he has the experience to bring change to the group.

The Barnstable resident and Fall River native is attempting to unseat incumbent Carole A. Fiola, who has held the District 1 position for eight years.

Cipollini, who will face off against Fiola in the Sept. 16 Democratic primary, said he views the council as an opportunity to “represent the public as far as public safety” by ensuring the right judges are being appointed.

As a former first assistant clerk magistrate for Barnstable County and Plymouth’s juvenile department, Cipollini said he has seen too many judges who are lax when it comes to re-offenders.

“We need more conservative judges,” Cipollini said. “As a clerk magistrate for the judicial system I kept seeing the same names, and then I would see juveniles graduating into the district courts when they got older. They’re not learning from their time in the system.”

Cipollini said that when judges are soft on re-offending criminals, the judge and system begin to lose the trust of citizens.

“My feeling is repeat offenders should be given more serious sentences,” Cipollini said. “Felons in our correction facilities have to learn these people (judges) are serious.”

Cipollini said judges who are soft on crime are appointed in part because council members are unwilling to take a stand on judicial nominations.

He called the current group “rubber stampers,” and said the council approves 99 percent of nominees. Cipollini said he would have a full range of questions for judicial nominees, including queries on community service and job workloads.

“I’m not going to be a rubber stamper,” Cipollini said. “There are poor decisions being made by the governor and the Governor’s Council is rubber stamping them. I really want to do this right. I’m really committed.”Cipollini said his former job as a clerk magistrate has also given him insight into what makes a good judge.

“If you want somebody to decide who the next judge is going to be, then you should hire someone who has worked with judges,” Cipollini said. “You have to have that experience. This is a serious job, it’s serious business that affects our communities.”

Cipollini is also a member of the University of Massachusetts Alumni Association Board of Directors and is an executive member of the Citizens for Homeowners Insurance Reform.

Along with approving judicial nominees, Cipollini said he would also like to use a council position to work with the governor and state legislators to reform the parole and probation roles for criminals after release.

Cipollini said convicts released from jail should not be assigned both a probation officer and a parole officer. A system with only one officer assigned to each ex-prisoner would allow for more accountability, he said.

The combination of his willingness for activism and service on the council, Cipollini said, should steer voters to cast their ballots in his name.

“With me you’ll be part of the decision making,” Cipollini said. “If I don’t do the job right then get rid of me as fast as you can, as I would expect the voters should.”E-mail Will Richmond at wrichmond@heraldnews.com.