REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Carmen Ortiz, a controversial U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts will step down on January 13, 2017, she announced on Wednesday. Ortiz has been in office since November 2009, when she became the first woman and first Hispanic person to hold the Massachusetts position. During her time in office, Ortiz came under fire for pursuing harsh charges in some high-profile cases, including that of internet activist Aaron Schwartz. Schwartz was accused of downloading free articles from an MIT archive, against terms of use. Ortiz's office charged Schwartz with 13 felony accounts, which threatened up to 30 years in prison. Schwartz committed suicide before his trial. The incident prompted over 60,000 to accuse Ortiz of "overreach" and petition for her removal.