CONLEY APPOINTS LIAISON TO LGBT COMMUNITY May 7, 2008 Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley this week named an experienced bilingual victim witness advocate to act as his office’s first liaison to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities in Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Jennifer R. Stott, currently assigned to Conley’s Major Felony Bureau, will retain her current assignment but will also track cases with LGBT victims. She will consult internally with prosecutors, investigators, and her fellow victim advocates to ensure that each victim and each witness in the community is served with individualized dignity, sensitivity, compassion, and attention – whether in the fast-paced district courts or in more serious cases routed to Superior Court. Stott has been with the office since July 2006. She was first assigned to Dorchester Municipal Court, where she worked with victims and witnesses in hundreds of criminal cases. Her strong work there led to her promotion last year to a Superior Court team that prosecutes violent criminals, repeat offenders, and other dangerous defendants. “Boston’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities have, unfortunately, been historically underrepresented in local law enforcement,” Conley said. “In trying to address that, I chose someone who could anticipate victims’ needs and be accessible to clients from every walk of life. “Since her very first day, Jen has shown a deep commitment to the job and her clients,” Conley said. “She’s strong, she’s compassionate, and she knows she can make a difference here. For a victim of crime, there’s no better ally.” A 2005 graduate of Ithaca College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and minored in Women’s Studies, Stott volunteered for four years at the school’s LGBT Resource Center. She also received the Sylvia Rivera Award in recognition of her leadership and outstanding service to the Ithaca’s LGBT community. Fluent in Spanish, Stott has also interviewed children and parents as a bilingual employee of Community Action Programs Inter-City, a non-profit anti-poverty agency serving the residents of Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, where she handled confidential information on a regular basis. She continues to work as a Spanish language tutor for high school and college level students. Stott was a workshop presenter at the 2005 and 2006 TRANSforming Feminism Conferences in New Paulz, New York – conferences focusing on transgender individuals, their role in the feminist movement, and the issues they face in contemporary American society. Stott was also the co-creator of the 2005 documentary film Either Or/Neither Nor, which explored gender identity and tension within the transgender community. A longtime volunteer for animal welfare, Stott more recently founded Black Cat Rescue, an all-volunteer network of foster homes based in Jamaica Plain dedicated to saving the lives of homeless cats by providing them with quality foster care while seeking permanent adoptive homes. Conley’s office employs more than three dozen victim advocates at each of the nine district and municipal courthouses in Suffolk County, as well as in specialized Superior Court trial teams. They orient victims, witnesses, and their families to the criminal justice system; make referrals for medical, legal, and financial assistance; facilitate counseling and other social services; assist in safety and protection plans; and provide emotional support during what can be a life-changing series of events. “As prosecutors, our most fundamental duty is to serve the victims of crime,” Conley said. “We have to make every effort to reach out, be approachable, and maintain our reputation for fair and vigorous victim advocacy.” Return to the Press Releases page.