DA Hayden Honors Outstanding Staff
BOSTON, June 13, 2022—District Attorney Kevin Hayden last week honored members of his office for their tireless and dedicated work on behalf of Suffolk County communities during the office’s Suffolk Awards.
The recognition ceremony was held Friday evening at Suffolk University Law School. The event was previously held annually, but this year marked the first time it has been held since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. SCDAO staff are nominated for the professional recognitions by their colleagues.
Hayden and his staff were joined at the ceremony by Rep. Kevin Honan, who has attended nearly every Suffolk Awards since their inception to present an award honoring his late brother – the Brian J. Honan Award for Excellence in the Courtroom and Commitment to the Communities We Serve. Also in attendance were the family of late attorney and philanthropist Paul Poth, widow Kristen Palma Poth and son Luca Poth, presenting the newly dedicated Paul Poth Award for Outstanding District Court Prosecutor.
“I had the honor of working alongside both Brian and Paul. Each understood that our success as prosecutors could not be measured by conviction rates, but rather by the positive impact we had on the communities we serve. That is the mission that each of us strives toward in this office, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to recognize the work that members of my office do each day,” said Hayden, who received the Brian J. Honan Award as an assistant district attorney in 2006 for his work overseeing the community-focused Safe Neighborhood Initiative.
This year’s honorees were:
Brian J. Honan Award for Excellence in the Courtroom and Commitment to the Communities We Serve
Assistant District Attorney Marc Tohme, Deputy Chief of District and Municipal Courts
Ralph C. Martin II Award for Outstanding Superior Court Prosecutor
Assistant District Attorney Craig Iannini, Chief of the Senior Trial Unit
Paul P. Poth Award for Outstanding District Court Prosecutor
Assistant District Attorney Tiffany Albanese, Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court
Outstanding Appellate Attorney
Assistant District Attorney Elisabeth Martino, Appeals Unit
Outstanding District Court Victim Witness Advocate
Victim Witness Advocate Saraliz Rivera-Steward, Chelsea District Court
Outstanding Superior Court Victim Witness Advocate
Victim Witness Advocate Tina Nguyen, Senior Trial Unit
Outstanding District Court Investigator
Civilian Investigator Cesaltino Brazao, Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court
Outstanding Superior Court Investigator
Paralegal/Civilian Investigator Deirdre Scarna, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, Sexually Dangerous Persons
Outstanding District Court Support Staff
Administrative Assistant Devangi Desai, West Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court
Outstanding Superior Court Support Staff
Administrative Assistant Meaghan Leary, Senior Trial Unit
Unsung Hero Award
Operations Assistant Roy Gaul, Operations Division
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal legal system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.