Attorney Cherry has been with the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office since 1999. She began her career as an intern in the General Counsel’s Office. She continued in that role until finishing Law School in 2000. At that time, she was appointed as an Attorney and has continued in that role to present.
In her role as an attorney, she is responsible for/involved in a variety of matters including offender related issues, tort claims, collective bargaining, labor relations, workplace injuries, discrimination claims, civil rights, contract analysis, policy review, and internal investigations. She works with other state agencies to resolve matters such as workers’ compensation litigation, retirements and settlements. She also consults daily with the Human Resources Department weighing in on matters relating to FMLA, extended leaves, accommodation requests, retirement matters, employee discipline and other day to day personnel issues.
Attorney Cherry has been trained and has received the designation of MCPPO (Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official) through the Massachusetts Inspector General’s Office. Additionally, she conducts trainings certified as a MCPPO through the Massachusetts Inspector General’s Office. She conducts trainings on topics including harassment prevention and conflict of interest and has received extensive training in both areas. She has completed all courses offered by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) including How to Conduct an Investigation, Train the Trainer as well as courses on accommodations. She is currently on the referral list of trainers through the MCAD for Harassment Prevention. She has also received certifications through the State Ethics Commission.
Jessica Cherry holds a B.A.S. from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell in Criminal Justice and Psychology (1995) and a Juris Doctor from Suffolk Law School (2000).