Introduction of Representative Kevin Honan by District Attorney Dan Conley

The next award is special, both for what it represents and for whom it is named. Brian Honan, as many of you know, was a friend and colleague of mine on the City Council and of some of you here in the District Attorney’s Office. The Brian J. Honan Award is a living memorial meant not only to recognize those men and women who bring passion and purpose to the job of a prosecutor, those who view their mission as extending beyond the walls of the courtroom, but to inspire others to make their marks in public service in this same way.

We are incredibly honored to have some of the members of Brian’s family here today. Please welcome Brian’s sister, Claire Coughlin and her husband Mike. Again, thank you all so much for being here. Finally, to make the Brian J. Honan Award, please welcome his brother, one of the most well-liked and respected legislators on Beacon Hill, an outstanding advocate for his Allston-Brighton district, a good friend to this office, and as good and decent a man as you’ll ever meet, State Representative Kevin Honan.

Presentation of the Brian J. Honan Award by Representative Kevin Honan

On behalf of my entire family, I want to thank District Attorney Conley and all of you in the District Attorney’s Office for having me and my family here tonight. All of us in the Honan family are deeply appreciative of your efforts to keep Brian’s memory alive. Because the Brian Honan Award is given to the prosecutor whose service mirrors Brian’s – Excellence in the Courtroom and Commitment to the Communities We Serve – it is very much a living memorial to him because it ensures that his spirit and his values are a daily part of our calling as public servants.

In a minute, I’m going to ask last year’s Brian Honan Award recipient – Matt Machera – to come up and speak about this year’s honoree. Like Matt, this year’s winner began his career as a prosecutor in the Roxbury District Court in 1995. And it’s a spirit of volunteerism and selflessness that defines this year’s award winner’s career.

Our award winner has a special place in his heart for kids, and that’s where he has focused much of his work both in and out of the courtroom. In Roxbury he was the Lead Juvenile Prosecutor, intervening with young people who could be steered away from crime, and going after those kids who would not heed the warnings. He was the first Prosecutor in Precinct assigned to Area E-13 in Roxbury, and he’s never forgotten or lost touch with the police officers, kids and residents he worked with in that community. He was also the first coordinator of the Judicial Youth Corps Mock Trial program, where kids participate in mock trials to better understand the criminal justice system and he continues to mentor the coordinators who have come after him and keep that program vibrant.

He was the first Suffolk County prosecutor to participate in the Re-Entry Initiative; he is a familiar presence at the Col. Daniel Marr Boys and Girls Club; and his leadership was instrumental in the Dorchester Community Center for the Arts successful completion of the Paul McLaughlin Mural now on display in the District Attorney’s Office. He was also the driving force behind the creation of the “Understanding Violence” video, which demonstrates powerfully the real life consequences of guns, gangs and violence. This video was unveiled last year at the Strand Theatre to an audience of educators, elected and community leaders, and over 500 young people. He also developed an educational curriculum that goes along with this video and is now being used in schools across Suffolk County and Massachusetts.

In between all of this work, he has prosecuted dozens of the most hardened gang members in Suffolk County, and literally hundreds of cases involving guns. In 1999, this prosecutor was promoted to the Anti-Gang Unit, and in 2002, District Attorney Conley promoted him to Chief of that unit.

I am proud to present this year’s Brian Honan Award, for Excellence in the Courtroom and Commitment to the Communities We Serve, to Raffi Yessayan.