Leadership

Timothy J. Cruz
NDAA President 

Timothy (Tim) J. Cruz has been the District Attorney of Plymouth County, Massachusetts since 2001. As the newly elected President of the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), Cruz brings his vast legal experience to this national organization with a goal to put victims at the forefront of the criminal justice system, while simultaneously developing innovative prevention strategies for safer cities and towns.

District Attorney Cruz has worked to protect the public safety of Plymouth County’s 535,000 residents, who live in 27 municipalities, comprised of an urban city, rural farming communities, as well as suburbs and beachfront towns.

During his tenure, Cruz has taken on a wide range of issues: human trafficking, child abuse and pornography, domestic and sexual violence, organized retail theft, homicide and firearms violence, and elder abuse and financial fraud.   He leverages his office’s resources with federal and state grant funds, partnering with local agencies, initiating and maintaining education and outreach programs to address the social, economic, and health challenges facing our communities.

Cruz increased law enforcement suppression efforts and proactive violence prevention initiatives by administering the federally supported Project Safe Neighborhoods and Weed and Seed programs in Plymouth County. These efforts led to Cruz being recognized with the Outstanding Local Prosecutor’s Office Award from Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2004.

In 2015, to address the opioid crisis, Cruz partnered with the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department to create the Plymouth County Drug Abuse Task Force. The task force serves as a clearinghouse for coordinating law enforcement efforts, education, overdose prevention, outreach, and data dissemination. Since the creation of the task force, the number of fatal opiate overdoses in Plymouth County have plummeted to record lows.

To care for children who have Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), including being abused, or witnessing violence or substance abuse in their homes, Cruz created the first Handle With Care program in Massachusetts.  He adapted the program with a county-wide task force, the Drug Endangered Children’s Initiative, to link service providers directly with children and families.  His office also trains and educates teachers and school personnel to help children in their communities.

In addition, Cruz’s Human Trafficking Task Force has worked tirelessly to combat the exploitation and victimization of women, children, and vulnerable migrants through prosecution, outreach, public awareness, community engagement, and training.  This effort is the logical continuation of his long-standing efforts for child sexual assault victims; Cruz established the first public/private partnership in Massachusetts by founding the nationally accredited Plymouth County Children’s Advocacy Center.

The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office utilizes specialty courts, like Mental Health, Drug and Veterans Court, to hold offenders accountable, but also to help them break the cycle of violent or destructive behavior and stay out of jail. Cruz’s Diversion Program addresses first-time offenders who may have faced a number of difficulties and pressures.

In 2023, his office created the pioneering Plymouth County Comfort Dogs Program.  To date, the program has grown to more than 22 dogs who are paired with handlers at local police departments. They assist with efforts in identifying, responding, supporting, and treating those impacted by anxiety, mental illness, and other drug related disorders.

In 2024, Cruz established the Organized Retail Crime Task Force. Since its inception, the impact of the work of the task force has resulted in multiple Superior Court indictments, District Court complaints, and 29 people charged with various organized retail crime offenses.

Most recently, rather than waiting for arrests to react to the spiraling epidemic of homelessness fueled by mental health issues and substance abuse, Cruz has embarked on a federally-funded Community Court initiative.  This initiative, the first of its kind in Massachusetts, addresses quality of life issues and seeks to offer aid.  It is buttressed by the accountability of prosecution, for all the people who are impacted in the City of Brockton, where his office is located.

In addition to being President of the NDAA, Cruz has served in numerous positions throughout the years.  He has served as both President and Vice-President of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association.  He served as Co-Chairman of the Forensic Technology Subcommittee of the Governor’s Commission on Criminal Justice Innovation, and as a member of the Governor’s Council on Capital Punishment.  Cruz also served as a member of the Department of Corrections Advisory Council, and the Forensic Sciences Advisory Board, as well as the Steering Committee for the Comprehensive Approaches to Sex Offender Management Program.  District Attorney Cruz also served as a Board member of the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance.

He is a member of the Board of Directors at the Marshfield Boys and Girls Club and the Bridgewater State College Criminal Justice Advisory Board.  He is a past member of the Board of Trustees at Brockton Hospital, Inc., the Board of Directors at the Old Colony YMCA, and the Board of Directors for the Excel: Learning for Life, Bridgewater-Raynham’s Alternative High School Program.

He is a graduate of Boston College and Suffolk University Law School. DA Cruz is admitted to both the Massachusetts and U.S. District Court bars, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Officers
President-Elect – Jennifer Webb-McRae, Prosecutor, Cumberland County, NJ
Chair of the Board – Summer Stephan, District Attorney, San Diego County, CA
Treasurer – Eric Zahnd, Prosecuting Attorney, Platte County, MO

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