Dusty Christensen
LightNews LightNews
banner
dustyc123.bsky.social
Dusty Christensen
@dustyc123.bsky.social
490 followers 240 following 19 posts
Indy journalist | Investigations editor at The Shoestring | Contributor
at New England Public Media | Teaching future muckrakers
at UMass Amherst and Smith College


first dot last @ protonmail dot com
Posts Replies Media Videos
dustyc123.bsky.social
Read the entire series here:
'Robin Hood' or 'legalized theft'? Why it’s easy for Massachusetts police to seize property
For police and prosecutors, civil asset forfeiture is a tool they say helps them thwart criminal enterprises. Others, however, say the practice amounts to “little more than legalized theft.” Reporters...
www.nepm.org
October 2, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by Dusty Christensen
andrewqmr.bsky.social
David Sullivan has spent more than $13,000 and counting of taxpayer money on a private law firm to fight against police transparency in #Massachusetts after I sued him over his refusal to release the names of police officers who were charged with crimes.

#mapoli
In July 2023, Sullivan’s office retained the Boston-based private law firm Butters Brazilian to defend it against the lawsuit. The district attorney’s office agreed to pay $350 an hour each for two lawyers and $75 an hour for the work of clerks and paralegals, according to an agreement obtained by making a public records request. Butters Brazilian has billed taxpayers $13,454.17 for work related to the case as of July 31, according to invoices released by Sullivan’s office. Those records do not include the charges for the final draft of the district attorney’s motion for summary judgment.
August 21, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Reposted by Dusty Christensen
globespotlight.bsky.social
These are the police departments the lawsuits were lodged against:

• Boston
• Worcester
• Springfield
• New Bedford
• Massachusetts State Police

The Globe’s suit against the Boston Police Department is the broadest.
Globe sues 5 Mass. police departments in effort to shine light on shadowy world of confidential informants - The Boston Globe
The newspaper sought information from each of Massachusetts' 400-plus police departments about how they handle confidential informants.
www.bostonglobe.com
May 22, 2025 at 3:08 PM