HISTORY
I am a 37 year-old woman from Medford. I have lived there my whole life. I have always been a registered democrat and sit on the Medford Democratic Committee in Ward 8. I graduated from Salem State College in 1993 with a BS in Business-Finance and then attended Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law/Yeshiva University in New York where I obtained my Juris Doctorate in 1997. I passed both the Massachusetts and New York Bar Exams in 1997 and was admitted into the practice of law in the Commonwealth in December 1997. I began working as an Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County in early 1998. I was then contracted to work with the Department of Revenue Child Support Enforcement Division on the criminal prosecution of non-support cases. There, I became involved in civil enforcement cases (i.e., contempts) within the Probate and Family Court in Cambridge (MPC). By that time, the Register had been suspended and replaced by a “Temporary Acting Register” (who is also the current Temporary Acting Register). While there I experienced the same situations with which other attorneys on this site would probably agree: lost records, lack of security for documents, a black hole for cases in scheduling future events or trials and outdated facilities.
When the Register was ultimately removed from Office, a special election was called in 2000. I initially had no interest in running…until I saw the qualifications of some of the people who were running. There was a security guard, police officer, teacher, and cable TV Host. I have no objection to these professions, however, it made me wonder: how much better would my professional life be if any of these people won the seat? So, I decided to “put up or shut up” again. So, I pulled papers, got signatures and campaigned. Although I won my hometown and neighboring Malden and had a fair showing for a non-political name, I did not win the nomination. I was soooo green. I did not realize that name placement on the ballot was important, how much regional voting plays a part, or that there was such a thing as voter association.
John Buonomo won that election in a recount. He ran again in 2002 and had a democratic opponent – one of the people that ran in 2000. I supported the incumbent and eventual democratic nominee. In 2003 a position was posted in the Middlesex Probate and Family Court. I applied, interviewed and was appointed by the Register with the approval of the Chief Justice of the Trial Court to the position of Administrative Deputy Assistant Register, the position I still hold today.
EXPERIENCE
When I arrived at MPC, it was as difficult a place to navigate as I anticipated. Some changes had been made, but there were still many more that were needed. However, never being one to change for the sake of change, I made it a point, when I first began at the Registry, to attempt every job our employees performed to assess needs, process and flow. I assisted at the counter (very difficult), I answered the telephone, I processed the mail, I worked in the Files Department, I docketed cases and I made sure that I never asked someone to perform a task that I had not tried at least once myself. This is how I earned the respect of the Registry staff.
I will provide the rest in bullet points, which I can explain in detail if anyone would like, please just let me know:
I supervise the Registry on a daily basis. I oversee the personnel, handling all staffing issues, including interviews and recommendations for promotions, department coverage, and cross-training. I work with the union employees to insure that they are reclassified up to a position that is consistent with their job duties. And perform basic troubleshooting.
I oversaw the creation of the Family Law Information Center, which is geared towards assisting pro se (unrepresented) litigants and domestic violence victims. I made sure that there were panic buttons installed in different areas of that department linked directly to security. It provides privacy for the Lawyer of the Day Program and is the location I chose for the introduction of the Senior Partners for Justice Program, as well as two other outside programs that provide pro bono services for indigent or unrepresented litigants.
In reviewing Operations, we regained oversight of the Appeals Department which had been staffed by judicial employees who had full-time duties in other areas of the Court. This led to a special project to locate and catalogue all exhibits and transcripts, creating a tracking system for easy identification and access.
I was responsible for initiating the bar coding and scanning of court documents in Middlesex County, which is the precursor viewing court documents online.
I am the liaison with the judiciary within the Middlesex County Probate and Family Court.
While I was working with the Judiciary Court implemented the individual calendar system, I identified and processed an enormous backlog of over 400 cases awaiting trial and over 600 cases still awaiting pretrials.
I sat on the Committee on Time Standards and was responsible for training all Registry personnel with the requirements of this new standing order which clearly informs attorneys and litigants of how long they should expect their cases to active before final disposition. This lead into piloting Next Event Scheduling in conjunction with the judiciary, monitoring case processing, and training court personnel on computerized scheduling.
I currently sit on the committee for the Probate and Family Court Department within the Trial Court, which is responsible for the set up and roll out of MassCourts, the new computer system being implemented statewide. I have trained two other counties on this system and am the only expert on this system in Middlesex County.
I have worked with the Outreach Program, which was developed and funded last year to provide information to the communities in Middlesex County regarding probate and family law issues and processes and be more proactive.
As of last week, the Registry is docketing all documents within two (2) days of hearing or filing. Scanning is up-to-date with a one-day turn around between docketing and recirculation of the files. The Court has a 99% success rate in having files ready for use in the courtrooms and we have identified that the 1% is usually due to a late add-on or request.
I understand that you are receiving a lot of information from candidates, but the information is sometimes inaccurate or erroneous or just plain uninformative. If you have any questions for me, please post them and I will answer. I do want to let you know, however, that the information I have provided is what has already happened, not what is in the pipeline for the Court because, crazy as it may sound, no one else running has the insight into the functioning of the Court like I do and I believe that people will read the information I am giving and use it as their own when they do not have a clue as to what is actually going on in the Court. There is still a lot that needs to be done, but none of it happens overnight and to put someone in the position of Register that is not familiar with everything in place will only set Middlesex back again.
Do you know that MPC houses three independent entities, the Judiciary, the Registry and the Probation Department? Do you know that we file over 20,000 new cases a year? Do you know that we never consider a case inactive? That there is a concern with identity theft considering the information that is contained in most of our files? Especially when the Court goes live? And that although the new Uniform Probate Code has some great positives, there are some administrative nightmares to some of its requirements? That there is a walk-in policy for uncontested divorces that requires additional coverage in the divorce department to in
sure all departmental needs are met? They don’t, but I do because I work there and because I have been obligated to look at it from a different perspective than someone from the outside…and that makes all the difference.
I do not believe that any other candidate has the knowledge that I have or the experience that I have gained or the working relationship with the First Justice and Chief Probation Officer that I have established. I have gained that trust and experience and I work hard and I continue to strive for what is not only best for the Court, but best for the public at large.
I would appreciate your consideration and your support to be the democratic nominee for this position. I have a website: www.taradecristofaro.com which I just got up and running, but where I will post more information. Thank you.
When I was last in the court house, files were still being dropped down with a “thump” through the pneumatic tube, and I still see selectric typewriters!
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p>Tell me, please, where the scanned documents go, and who uses them?
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p>What was the division of labor between yourself, and former Register Buonomo?
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p>Are you formally endorsed by either Chief Justice Chief Probation Officer ?
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p>Do you have a website, or will you, prior to 9/24?
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p>What is the Senior Lawyers for Justice project at MPC?
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p>See – I have taken you at your word and posted questions, just as you took the “put up or shut up” to heart and posted, which is MUCH appreciated.
at the end of her post:
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That comes of reading posts at midnight after dealing with a dead refrigerator – ):
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p>I really care a lot on this race and will be reading EVERYTHING from all candidates as there are so many and I am totally uncomitted as of today.
Thank you for the questions. I will try to be as thorough as I can as concisely as I can.
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p>First, it wasn’t a question, but I do want to respond to the statement about the tube and typewriters. Unfortunately, the tube to drop files down from the third floor to the second floor is still there. We had looked into repairing an old dumb waiter, but it was so old that fixing it was cost prohibitive due to the lack of parts available. Regardless, one dumb waiter is not enough to satisfy the number of public file requests we get each day, which is typically over 200. One option I had discussed with the former Register was to create a series of dumb waiters along the wall that houses the tube and is something I am still interested in pursuing as an option to replace the “tube”. FYI, an allocation of funds for a project this big would require bids and approval by the AOTC. Also, MassCourts allows for the production of everything from Summones to Decrees, so we should be saying “good-bye” to the typewriters . . . finally.
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p>The scanned documents are stored in a database in Cambridge which is backed-up every few minutes. This database then gets backed-up by another database in a different location. Currently, the Court uses the scanned documents to “recreate” files for the courtrooms, so that small number of cases not present for hearings can proceed while Registry clerks locate the real file. We also use the scanned documents to generate Certificates of Divorce Absolutes as well as other certified copies without having to pull the files. After the MassCourts’ go-live, the scanned documents will be present on the docket sheet itself, so that just clicking on the camera will open a .pdf of the document associated with each docket entry.
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p>The division of labor between the former Register and myself changed over time. Initially, as I had stated, I took six (6) months to a year to “work” the Registry. During this time, I was given tasks by the Register, I then made recommendations to him and was given the go-ahead. Then, I would oversee the projects and report the progress to him. As time went by I began making more operational and personnel decisions on a daily basis and without the need for “clearance” from the Register. I worked on projects in conjunction with the judiciary regarding processing. My office is down on the second floor in the Registry itself, so I field questions from attorneys and litigants, and, most especially, the staff. The former Register and I met on budgetary issues near the end of the fiscal year to make sure we had enough money in the proper account for paper and postage, etc. I believe though that the biggest division of labor comes from the statue. My position is strictly administrative, whereas the Register has magisterial obligations, as well as administrative. I guess I could best describe it as the Register was the CEO and I was the in charge of personnel and operations.
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p>The Chief Justice and First Justice are prohibited, pursuant to SJC Rule 3:09, Canon 7, from publicly endorsing anyone running for public office. Nor should the Chief Probation Officer, as an unelected policy maker, endorse any candidates. Therefore, I cannot say that I have their endorsement. However, I was granted this leave of absence to pursue the nomination to make the best of a bad situation.
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p>The Senior Partners for Justice is a program that was set up by Judge Ginsberg, which is made up of experienced lawyers who provide pro bono services for indigent litigants. When I met with Judge Ginsberg and Victoria Rothbaum to work with this program it seemed perfectly suited for the Family Law Information Center (FLIC). Judges, Lawyers of the Day and clerks can recommend litigants to seek the services of this program. They are placed into a schedule and have a screening interview with Attorney Rothbaum in the FLIC.
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p>Finally, as someone else has already answered, I do have a website. But, please be advised that it is just up and running as this has occurred so quickly and I have not been able to update it since, due to the fast approaching caucus.
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p>I hope that this answered your questions and look forward to any other questions you may have or information you need to help you make the choice to cast your delegate vote for me at Wednesday’s Caucus.
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p>Tara
Tara — what will you do to increase efficiency on the Probate side? Right now, one can’t get a citation in less than three weeks, unless you camp out at the counter for an indefinite period and make a serious fuss. Similarly, no one ever believes that temporary guardianship ought to get some priority in scheduling — the health and safety of the proposed ward may be at stake, but good luck promptly getting the case in front of the judge.
This is a problem we have been struggling with for a while.
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p>Middlesex County has seven (7) full-time clerks processing over 5,500 new cases each year. That does not include the subsequent activity on past years cases. We average six (6) employees daily in that department due to vacation and sick leave. And before you ask, there has been a hiring freeze on for over a year and a half with the exception of what the Administrative Office considers critical needs.
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p>Currently, every citation is generated through a word document which the clerks have to edit to input individual case information. As I am the only person in Middlesex to work with MassCourts, which is slated to roll out in Middlesex the first week of February, I know it addresses this problem by extracting data from the case you are working in to create the citation. The caveat being that there will be an option available to add language to the citations per any judicial order or if it is a general petition, which by nature is a specific cause of action that does not fall into other petitions.
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p>Two years ago, we did attempt to open the list for probate cases by providing a two o’clock call for up to ten (10) probate matters on a judges’ motion day. We worked with this for six (6) months and found that attorneys did not use this call time very often and when they did it had a residual effect in our Probate Department, where the decrees are completed, in that it took employes off the floor to process them late in the day backing up mailings, etc.
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p>In my individual meetings with each department head, I have stressed the need for “real time” case processing, especially in light of MassCourts. It has been very successful in our Paternity Department where we piloted this project. (In fact, the Temporary Acting Register just treated the staff in that department to lunch because they are current and processing in real time). We have expanded this process into our Divorce Department and are experiencing success. It will then be implemented in the Probate Department. This department has a series of post-filing clerical activities, (i.e., citations) that stall a case and I wanted to make sure it was successful in the other departments before changing the probate process. And I will also let you know, that my inclination is to provide it first to guardianship cases and then to estates/administrations to insure a clean transition.
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p>Also, I am currently working with the First Justice and the Temporary Acting Register to create teams of staff for each judge, which will include one Registry member to assist in scheduling, more personal contact to prepare a case for presentation and post judicial processing. It is intended that this will then free up the time of the clerks on the floor in the main Registry.
I’ve been practicing in Middlesex for 13 years. I’m a former board member of the Massachusetts Guardianship Association. I’m very active in the Mass. chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. In short,
That afternoon session which was tried and failed was the best-kept secret EVER. I do not recall seeing anything posted in Mass Lawyers Weekly. The MCPFC web site never said anything. The word was certainly NOT getting circulated among the folks most likely to show up. No one in Scheduling ever said a word about it. I’m in constant touch with fellow attorneys who would kill for a special afternoon session to deal with probate/guardianship issues — believe me, we would have been telling each other all about it if we had known.
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p>And as for the slowness in getting citations out — Norfolk has the same computer system and fewer people, but routine gets citations out within 2 business days. If I need one in a hurry, I usually can politely ask and get it in under an hour.
I thought this thread was to discuss Tara’s qualifications for office, Ernie? Your many comments do not address Tara’s thoughtful post or her responses to another member’s questions. What a surprise.
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p>Anyway, Tara attended our ward committee meeting this afternoon and several of us were pretty impressed with what she had to say. She seems pretty smart and is certainly qualified for the job.
Tara, as you know the register of probate job is to manage a department that’s statutorily mandated to maintain court records.
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p>Although you background shows you may have a damn good understanding of the intricacies of an extremely small proportiongroup of the records to be kept (child support enforcement) how does that qualify you to manage scores of employees, work within a budget, and see that all the court records are accurate and preserved?
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p>Doctors do not run the file room. However the file room in a very large hospital is run by a well paid manager who needs not and probably does not know anything about treating patients or administering medicine.
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p>Does the Registrars office – whose job is to keep records of grades classes – at colleges and university have to be run by a professor? I think not.
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p>Wouldn’t someone with management experience be the best candidate?
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p>Isn’t your very limited legal experience wasted in this position and slightly relevant?
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p>What is your experience in divorce and estates? Those are 95% of the cases. So if experience in those areas of the law matter, like, as you say, child support enforcement does, what is your experience in them?
Why do you make it so difficult and expensive for people to copy public records. It is so user unfriendly.
and too expensive.
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p>It shouldn’t be a money makong operation for people to get copies of public records. The cost should just cover the expense.
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p>what are you goiung to do about that?
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p>Finally – did you have to pay Buonomo for the job?
He is a crook, allegedly and you make good cake. You weren’t going to beat him four years later, that was for sure.
You were actually on a role asking relevant questions about Tara’s experience and plans, then you had to go back to being Ernie…
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p>I would hardly consider Tara’s “cake” substantial. Most attorney’s graduating from a top-100 law school get a lot more “cake” in the private sector. Furthermore, an administrator or manager that has little or no knowledge about what his/her office, department or group does is generally a disaster waiting to happen. At least that’s been my experience.
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p>I hope you’re at least engaged in equal opportunity annoyance by torturing the other candidates who posted to the group.
screw you mikefrommedford.
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You brought this on. Now be quiet and quit embarressing Tara.
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p>Hey Tara, this guy Mike would have been thrown off “the rocks” back in the day, right baby?
Ernie, I think you’ve got a crush on Tara! I am happy to report that Tara was at our caucus for delegate selection, and in the few minutes she was allowed to speak, she made it quite clear that she not only understands the job, but seems more than qualified for it. Good luck Tara, you’ve got my vote!
Seriously, who doesn’t love an intelligent woman from a blue-collar background? I may not be a registered Democrat, but I did like a lot of things that she had to say. Since Medford is one of the few places around here that’s actually affordable, I might end up relocating there one of these days. That’s all I’m going to say for now. 😉
This is a thread about a candidate for the Middlesex County Register of Deeds. Comments here should be about either the candidate or the office. Anything else really should be deleted. Thank you.
I mean, Register of Probate. But the rest of my comment stands
Namely, I wish this race were in the “race’s to watch” sidebar, with a link to each candidates post, as some candidates [like Bob Colt, say] have dropped off the front page and the big day, the countywide caucus is THIS Wednesday, 9/24/08.
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p>Guys – could you keep the comments to the Register of Probate race and take your school yard squabbles out behind the barn somewhere.
Congratulations Tara! Modernize the Court!
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p>Good luck. It is nice to see a highly qualified person recognized. Make us proud of you and the court.
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p>Middlesex, Essex, Plymouth, and other counties were there in Superior Court to serve the people because the leadership set the example.
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p>Bring the Trial Court and MPC into the 21st century!
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p>Salem State is an outstanding institution of higher learning. It is good to see another alum’s excellence acknowledged.
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p>Someone and I graduated from CUA Law. You and I went to Salem State. It’s a win, win!
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Congratulations to Tara DeCristofaro-and to all of the Delegates at the caucus last night-for choosing the BEST Democratic Candidate for the position of Register of Probate.
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p>I have known Tara DeCristofaro her entire life, and she possesses not only the knowledge and experience necessary to make a top-notch Register, she possess a wisdom beyond her years.
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p>Honorable. Ethical. Practical. Focused. Fair. Forward-thinking. As you all get to know Tara over the next couple of months, you too will begin to associate all of these qualities with the amazing woman you have chosen as YOUR Candidate.
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p>Kudos to all of the Delegates. You made the right choice last night.
http://www.jimmymorse.com