Op-Eds
Carol Erskine
May 25, 2026
The Justice File is a platform for truth, accountability, and reform—focused on how the law affects vulnerable children. Founded by former Massachusetts Juvenile Court Judge Carol Erskine, a Top Ten Massachusetts lawyer and author of A Cruel Injustice, the site features analysis, trial commentary, and investigative reporting on child welfare, constitutional rights, and domestic violence. Drawing on 21 years on the bench, Judge Erskine exposes systemic failures and calls for justice through articles, media appearances, and legal commentary.
Sweet Harmony Montgomery should still be alive. Instead, her tragic death has left her half-brother Jamison—now adopted by two loving dads—grieving the sister he adored. Unaware of the public outrage surrounding her case, Jamison simply says, “I wish she wouldn’t have died.” When a Massachusetts court gave custody of Harmony to her violent father in New Hampshire, her fate was sealed. Even in death, officials and lawyers have worked to silence her story to protect their own failures.
OPINION: "Behind Closed Doors: Transparency, Integrity, and the Officer O’Malley Prosecution." Should an elected DA be discussing a pending case in secret with hand-picked members of the community? Click this link 👇to read about this important issue.
https://thejusticefile.com/2026/05/25/behind-closed-doors-transparency-integrity-and-the-officer-omalley-prosecution/
I'll be posting an opinion piece on my website http://thejusticefile.com sometime in the next two days about the DA's planned secret meeting with hand-picked members of the public. Watch for it. He says it's about being transparent! This is Massachusetts. Nothing is transparent.
The old joke “Any prosecutor can get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich" is meant to remind us that jurors only hear one side of the story presented and will rubber-stamp nearly any charge a prosecutor brings. With that, I repost my recent op-ed after Officer O’Malley’s
Twenty months ago, I released "A Cruel Injustice," the story of how Harmony Montgomery was failed by the Massachusetts legal and child welfare systems, and placed on a lethal path. I promised every cent of profit would go to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, and I’ve kept
