District Attorney Ryan, Massachusetts’ only female District Attorney, represents the state’s largest county which is comprised of 54 towns and cities and 26 colleges and universities spread across urban, suburban and rural areas. Middlesex County is home to over one quarter of the state’s population.
Marian served for many years as the Chief of the District Attorney’s Office’s Elder and Disabled Unit, where she prosecuted crimes involving physical and financial abuse of some of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable victims. In her current role as DA, Marian has worked to find innovative methods for reaching her aging population and protecting them from all forms of abuse. She regularly visits Councils on Aging and Senior Centers to provide tips for protection from scams, cyberfraud and increasingly from issues associated with the opioid epidemic, such as the recognizing the signs of substance misuse in family members and safe storage and protection of their medication. Marian has also created a resource program for grandparents raising grandchildren affected by the epidemic.
Marian has been a constant presence in Middlesex County’s public and private schools, where she lectures and leads workshops to raise awareness of the dangers of prescription drug abuse, teen dating violence, sexual assaults, cyber safety, bullying and distracted driving. She offers an annual Empowering Girls program for middle and high school girls which draws over 400 girls from across the county. Marian has developed Boy Scout Merit badge clinics on crime prevention, forensics, railroad safety and other topics. She regularly presents to parent groups on these issues as well as Social Host liability. Responsible for the safety of not only the close to 250,000 children who attend elementary and high school in the county but for the thousands of students who come from around the globe to attend Middlesex’s 26 colleges and universities, Marian has also developed a college consortium for educators, administrators and campus police, focused on campus safety and security.
Prior to being named District Attorney, Ryan served as the MDAO’s General Counsel, where she created the county-wide Workplace Safety and Violence Prevention Program. Ryan draws upon Middlesex County’s rich and varied resources in academia, scientific research and medical facilities, to train public and private employers to formulate strategies, make threat assessments, and address and prevent potentially volatile situations in the workplace.
Marian has been a leader in domestic violence prevention and prosecution. She has conducted trainings for prosecutors, police officers and service providers to help them confront the unique challenges posed by domestic violence. She brought to Middlesex County the “Cut it Out” a program, designed to educate salon professionals and personal care providers to recognize signs of domestic abuse in their clients. She created the Safe Babies/Safe Kids Task Force and is a frequent presenter around the county on Safety Programs.