Former District Attorney Marks Year In New Position in St. Louis
SAINT LOUIS, Mont.-April 5 marks one year at the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office for Andrea Harrington - former elected prosecutor for Berkshire County as the office's deputy chief of staff.
"Deputy Chief of Staff Andrea Harrington shares my vision for a justice system that prioritizes public safety by focusing valuable resources on aggressively prosecuting people who pose a risk to our community while providing paths to treatment for those who are best served by a public health approach to mental illness, substance use disorder, and poverty," St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said. "As an elected prosecutor in Massachusetts, Andrea's leadership proved that prosecution policies based in fairness and justice support public safety. I am thrilled to have her perspective and expertise in the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office."
Harrington was elected as the first female district attorney for Berkshire County in 2018. She served for four years and joined the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office following an unsuccessful re-election campaign.
As an elected prosecutor, Harrington launched a high-risk team to prevent domestic violence homicides, partnered with the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law School on a first-of-its-kind study tracking a year of cases disposed by plea, and collaborated with the Innocence Project and the Anti-Defamation League to overturn an arson conviction tainted by anti-Semitism during jury deliberations.
Harrington has practiced in the area of criminal law for over 20 years, including defending death row inmates in post-conviction appeals in South Florida and representing clients in criminal trial and appellate matters in Massachusetts.
Harrington earned her law degree from American University, Washington College of Law and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. She has relocated to the St. Louis region with her husband and two sons.
"Prosecuting Attorney Bell is national leader in advocating for reproductive freedom, opposing the death penalty, and in finding holistic solutions to the opioid epidemic," Harrington said. "Joining Prosecuting Attorney Bell's office is the culmination of my life's work to reimagine a justice system that puts the people above the powerful. I am honored to be supporting the work of a phenomenal team at the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office who make the tough calls every day."
