The official website of the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office

The District Attorney



AWARDS | COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT


BIOGRAPHY OF TIMOTHY J. CRUZ



Timothy J. Cruz is the District Attorney of Plymouth County.   He was appointed by former Acting Governor Jane Swift on November 8, 2001, and was elected to his first term in November 2002, and his second term in November 2006.

District Attorney Cruz is a graduate of Boston College and Suffolk Law School.   He began his career in 1985 as a prosecutor for the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.   In 1989, he worked as in-house counsel for American International Group Insurance Company at the law firm of Long, Anderson, McTaggert and Racicot in Boston.   In 1990, he became a principal in the law firm of Cruz, Horan & Sorrenti, P.C.   In 1996, he became a sole practitioner in the Law Office of Timothy J. Cruz.   In 1997, Governor Cellucci appointed him to the Massachusetts Ballot Law Commission, where he served as an active Commissioner until his resignation in 2001 when be became District Attorney of Plymouth County.  

District Attorney Cruz was one of the proponents of legislation which was signed into law by Governor Mitt Romney on April 7, 2004 to close existing loopholes in the law regarding the commitment of sexually dangerous persons.   He served as Co-Chairman of the Forensic Technology Subcommittee of the Governor’s Commission on Criminal Justice Innovation, and also served as a member of the Governor’s Council on Capital Punishment.
District Attorney Cruz was appointed to serve as a member of the Victim and Witness Assistance Board which oversees the Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance, as well as the Department of Corrections Advisory Council.

District Attorney Cruz is a member of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association, which he formally served as both President and Vice-President.   He is an adjunct professor at Massasoit Community College in Brockton.   He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at Brockton Hospital, Inc., a member of the Board of Directors at the Old Colony YMCA, a member of the Board of Directors for the Excel: Learning for Life, Bridgewater-Raynham’s Alternative High School Program, and a member of the Board of Directors at the Marshfield Boys and Girls Club.







AWARDS



Annual Gala Honoree,  Marshfield Boys and Girls Club - September, 2007
  • District Attorney Timothy Cruz was named this year's Gala Honoree, in recognition of his support for the Boys and Girls Club.    The honor was presented at the Boys and Girls Club's annual "Evening under the Stars Gala".


2nd Annual Ally Award, The ALLY Foundation - August, 2004
  • The ALLY Foundation was established in memory of Alexandra Zapp.   Its mission is to prevent opportunities for violent sex offences, to educate the public, and advocate for necessary changes in culture, attitude and legal policy.


Outstanding Local Prosecutor’s Office, 2004 Project Safe Neighborhoods Achievement Awards, United States Department of Justice - June, 2004
  • Project Safe Neighborhood is President Bush’s comprehensive initiative to combat gun crime in America by providing locally-based programs with the tools and resources they need to succeed.


Community Service Award for 2003, Brockton Housing Authority - February, 2004
  • In recognition of exemplary service to the citizens of Plymouth County and in appreciation for continuous commitment to the safety and education of all our children.









COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT



The District Attorney has worked to reduce violent crime, particularly the violent gun crime that has plagued this community.   District Attorney Cruz works with the US Attorney's Office on a national firearm violence effort - Project Safe Neighborhoods.

This initiative focuses on reducing firearm violence in this community through targeted enforcement and prevention programs.   The targeted enforcement includes working with the Brockton Police Impact Shift, state and federal investigators to remove repeat firearm offenders from this community for as long as possible.

Additionally, the District Attorney has used technology advances to improve this investigation and prosecution of criminals.   These include surveillance cameras, an offender data base accessed remotely by laptop computers, cell phone connections directly from the police investigators 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, night vision binoculars, and crime mapping used to focus law enforcement resources on the locations where the crime data indicates an increase in activity.

The prevention programs include the implementation of Project Ceasefire, a program designed to encourage at-risk youths to avoid the pitfalls of the criminal lifestyle, and to take advantage of the numerous programs offered by committed agencies citywide.

The District Attorney, working through the Brockton Blueprint Coalition, has also been instrumental in the development of Brockton's Promise, a youth development framework that champions all youth and works for system change to most effectively meet their needs.

Working with the Brockton Police Department , Brockton Public Schools, and several mental health agencies, the District Attorney has been instrumental in identifying and addressing the large number of children who are victimized or witness violence within their homes and communities.   To this end, he has developed a county-wide Child Advocacy Center to assist in providing children and families who are victimized by violence and sexual abuse with much needed services.

The District Attorney is also developing partnerships with our schools to provide safe and secure environments by addressing the issue of Internet safety, bullying, drugs, alcohol abuse, and school threats.

Recently, working with the Sheehan Foundation, the District Attorney secured funds to continue the Brockton Housing Authority's After School Program.
  Copyright © 2007 © 2008 Plymouth County District Attorney's Office