Suffolk County District Attorney Fights to Detain Violent Individuals and Protect the Community
Will Retry two defendants for the 2007 murder of Cedirick Steele
BOSTON, November 16, 2021—Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said a ruling last week by Judge Robert L. Ullmann in which he denied motions for pre-trial release of Antwan Carter and Daniel Pinckney was fully supported by the Commonwealth, which had strongly opposed their release.
Earlier this year, the state’s Supreme Judicial Court vacated the 2010 murder convictions of the two men in the slaying of 18-year-old Cedirick Steele in Roxbury in 2007. The high court found that the trial judge improperly allowed prosecutors to dismiss at least one Black person from the pool of prospective jurors. The SJC decision also found - consistent with the position taken by DA Rollins’s Office - that sexual orientation is a protected class in jury selection under the Batson-Soares precedent.
“Nobody should ever be struck from a jury based on who they love, where, or if they worship, the color of their skin, or where they were born. In this country, anyone accused of a crime is entitled to a jury of their peers. I am proud that Suffolk County has such a rich and diverse jury pool. Further, I truly believe that as prosecutors we can secure accountability for our victims and survivors with diverse and inclusive juries that reflect Suffolk County. In homicide cases, that is true as well,” said DA Rollins. “Homicide cases are some of the most difficult to prove and the stakes are incredibly high. Someone’s life was stolen and the Commonwealth has the immense power to secure a verdict where the accused can spend the rest of their natural life in prison.
“The Steele family has lived more than 5,000 days without Cedirick in their lives. Each day for them is still incredibly hard,’’ said DA Rollins. “Some wounds never fully heal. We will work hard to make certain that two individuals that violently took Cedirick from his family are held accountable for their actions. That they remained incarcerated, away from the community, was necessary to assure public safety. I am pleased the Court agreed with our assessment.’’
In his November 9, 2021 ruling, Judge Ullman, noted that Mr. Carter and Mr. Pinckney “were convicted of the senseless murder of an 18-year-old man, based on strong eye-witness testimony and extensive other evidence. There is credible, admissible evidence that Carter sought to have a key Commonwealth witness killed, and that Pinckney directly threatened the witness and pressured her to lie about the crime. The core ground for reversal of the conviction was an erroneous procedure that was used to improperly exclude a Black prospective juror. This is structural error, but it does not suggest that the jury that unanimously voted to convict Carter and Pinckney was racially or otherwise biased.’’
The first two trials, conducted more than a decade ago, of Mr. Carter and Mr. Pinckney ended in mistrials after juries were unable to reach verdicts.
Judge Ullmann specifically noted in his decision that “the evidence that cannot be used at a subsequent trial does not significantly weaken the Commonwealth’s case.’’
DA Rollins noted, “it is for that very reason my administration intends to move forward with this prosecution and hold these individuals fully accountable for Cedirick’s death.”
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ 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 justice 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.