Hayden names Jeffrey Locke, former Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Trial Court, as head of Integrity Review Bureau
BOSTON, September 4, 2025 – Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden today announced the appointment of Jeffrey A Locke, former Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Trial Court, as chief of the office’s Integrity Review Bureau (IRB), which reviews potential wrongful convictions.
“Judge Locke’s impeccable record of fairness and impartiality combined with his deep knowledge of the law and trial procedures give him an ideal skill set to lead the IRB. He has a balanced perspective that comes from many years of giving all sides equal consideration, with favor only to facts and evidence. These are crucial qualities in an IRB leader,” Hayden said.
Hayden said Locke’s mandate will be to lead an independent bureau dedicated to investigating wrongful convictions. District Attorney Dan Conley in 2004 created the office’s Conviction Integrity Panel, formalizing the structure for wrongful conviction reviews begun in the 1990s under DA Ralph Martin. The CIP served as the precursor to the IRB established by DA Rachael Rollins.
“I have full confidence that Judge Locke and his staff will enhance the office’s historic commitment to conviction integrity review,” Hayden said.
To ensure the independence of the IRB’s work, and consistent with best practices, Locke will report directly to Hayden.
“I am honored to be entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that criminal convictions in Suffolk County have been justly obtained. I look forward to working with District Attorney Hayden and his talented team,” Locke said.
The Integrity Review Bureau investigates credible claims of innocence, wrongful conviction, and other circumstances that may have produced an improper judicial result. The IRB’s mission is to determine if an innocent person has been convicted of a crime, or if trial errors or new evidence make a defendant’s conviction unreliable, or if a conviction or sentence is not in the interest of justice.
Locke was Chief Justice of the Trial Court from January 19, 2022 through December 21, 2023. He was appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court after serving as a judge on the Superior Court since 2001.
Locke served as chair of the Massachusetts Sentencing Commission from 2018 to 2022. He was the regional administrative justice for criminal cases in Suffolk County from 2012 to 2015, and for all cases in Plymouth County from 2007 to 2011. He has served on several court committees, including the SJC Standing Advisory Committee on the Rules of Criminal Procedure; the Superior Court Committee on Sentencing Best Practices; and the Trial Court Fiscal Task Force.
Prior to Locke’s appointment to the bench, he served as commissioner of the MA Department of Social Services from April 1999 to October 2001, initially in an interim capacity. He was district attorney in Norfolk County from 1997 to 1999.
Locke has taught trial practice at Boston College Law School since 2018 and previously taught at Northeastern School of Law. He received his law degree from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Our office handles more than 20,000 cases a year. Nearly 160 assistant district attorneys practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Boston and Chelsea Juvenile Courts and the Supreme Judicial Court. Our office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs for anyone encountering the criminal justice system. We are committed to educating the public about our mission and services while focusing on crime prevention to keep the residents, workers and visitors of Suffolk County safe.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications