After more than 30 hours of deliberations spread across five days, a Suffolk County jury delivered its verdict Thursday: guilty on 21 of 22 counts. Alvin Campbell Jr., 45, was convicted of aggravated rape, rape, kidnapping, indecent assault and battery, and photographing an unsuspecting nude person — charges stemming from a predatory spree between 2017 and 2019 in which he repeatedly posed as a rideshare driver to prey on women leaving downtown Boston bars. He faces up to life in prison at sentencing on June 29.

The case has been impossible to separate from one name: Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Alvin's younger sister and the first woman of color elected to statewide office in Massachusetts. Andrea Campbell deleted a social media post last month in which she said she was "praying for survivors" while also expressing concern for her brother. Her office did not comment on the verdict Thursday night. That silence is notable — and understandable. There is no clean script for this moment. Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden, whose office prosecuted the case, said the verdict sends a clear message to survivors: "We will always stand by them, and with them."

The jury deadlocked on one additional rape count, and prosecutors say they haven't yet decided whether to retry Campbell on that charge. What happens next, practically speaking: pre-sentencing reports, likely victim impact statements at the June 29 hearing, and almost certainly a sentence that puts Campbell away for a very long time.

🏥 The Senate is about to pick a fight with hospital systems over primary care. Next week, the Massachusetts Senate will vote on legislation that would more than double the share of health care dollars flowing to primary care — without increasing total health care spending, meaning specialists and hospital systems would effectively lose revenue. Senator Cindy Friedman, the bill's architect, is clear-eyed about the battle ahead. The bigger question: the House has shown zero appetite for this fight before the legislative session closes. CommonWealth Beacon →

🏛️ MassHealth has seven months to prepare for a federal earthquake. Experts at this week's Medicaid Summit laid out the stakes: starting January 1, 2027, adults on MassHealth will face an 80-hour monthly work requirement, and eligibility will be redetermined every six months instead of annually. State officials are still sifting through nearly 400 pages of federal guidance. The coverage losses could be significant — and the clock is ticking. CommonWealth Beacon →

👨‍💼 The Brockton mayor situation keeps getting worse. New reporting reveals that Brockton Public Schools sent Mayor Moises Rodrigues a letter — dated May 26, more than a week before the high school graduation — explicitly telling him to stay away from the ceremony to avoid contact with a student who had accused him of wrongdoing. That detail directly undermines Rodrigues' suggestion that he didn't know who his accuser was. The school district has now hired an independent investigator, and State Police are involved. GBH News →

💔 A Springfield eighth-grader drowned on a school field trip. The student died Wednesday after drowning at High Meadow day camp in Granby, Connecticut. Several fellow students witnessed the tragedy. The child was taken to Connecticut Children's Medical Center but did not survive. Springfield Public Schools is grieving, and the community is asking hard questions about supervision at recreational facilities. Boston Globe →

⚽ Massachusetts taxpayers are spending at least $91 million on the World Cup — and FIFA keeps the revenue. State public safety agencies expect to spend roughly $23 million, the MBTA another $35 million, and the Foxborough commuter rail station rebuild adds $33 million more. The host agreement between the city and FIFA? Not public. Boston Soccer 2026, the local nonprofit partner, won't release it. Smith College economist Andrew Zimbalist, who studies mega-events for a living, isn't optimistic about the return on investment. The Fan Festival opened Friday — though not without hiccups: some fans who had confirmed reservations received last-minute denial notices. WCVB →

⚖️ A Boston federal judge slapped down Texas AG Ken Paxton's lawsuit against Somerville-based ActBlue. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Stearns ruled that Paxton weaponized his office to harass the Democratic fundraising platform — which is headquartered in Somerville — in retaliation for ActBlue funding Texas Senate candidate James Talarico. The judge's language was blunt: the lawsuit was filed "in retaliation for (and in an attempt to suppress)" ActBlue's political activity. Case dismissed. Universal Hub →

Alvin Campbell Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced June 29 in Suffolk Superior Court — victim impact statements are expected, and the aggravated rape convictions each carry a potential life sentence. Boston.com →

The Massachusetts Senate is expected to vote next week on its primary care overhaul bill — if you have thoughts, now is the time to contact your senator, because the legislative window is closing fast. CommonWealth Beacon →

Heat advisory in effect through 8 p.m. tonight — inland temperatures hitting the low-to-mid 90s, with a level-two storm risk west of Route 495. The coast gets a break from the sea breeze; the Connecticut River Valley does not. WCVB →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Donnell Wright (Democratic) — House, 11th Hampden — Filed: 6/9/2026
• Gary Gagnon — Sheriff, Franklin County — Filed: 6/9/2026

OCPF →

The Mass Brief publishes every morning. Forward it to someone who needs to know what's going on.

The Mass Brief • Powered by South Shore News

Get The Mass Brief every morning

Massachusetts politics, development, and daily life — straight to your inbox.

Powered by South Shore News