Michael W. Morrissey
Michael W. Morrissey | |
|---|---|
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| District Attorney of Norfolk County | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Keating |
| Member of the Massachusetts Senate from the Norfolk and Plymouth district | |
| In office 1993 – January 2, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Paul D. Harold |
| Succeeded by | John F. Keenan |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 1st Norfolk district | |
| In office 1979–1993 | |
| Preceded by | Robert A. Cerasoli |
| Succeeded by | Michael G. Bellotti |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 3rd Norfolk district | |
| In office 1977–1979 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph E. Brett |
| Succeeded by | Robert A. Cerasoli |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 2, 1954 Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Joanne Morrissey |
| Residence(s) | North Quincy, Quincy, Massachusetts, United States |
| Education | University of Massachusetts Amherst |
| Alma mater | University of Massachusetts Amherst (B.A.) Western New England University (MPA) Suffolk University Law School (J.D.) |
| Occupation | District Attorney |
| Website | [2] |
Michael W. Morrissey (born August 2, 1954) is the District Attorney of Norfolk County, Massachusetts (2011–present).[1] He previously served as a State Senator for the Norfolk and Plymouth district (1993–2011) and a State Representative for the 1st Norfolk and 3rd Norfolk districts (1977–1993). He is a Democrat and resides in North Quincy, a neighborhood of Quincy, Massachusetts.[2][3]
Biography
[edit]
Morrissey was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, on August 2, 1954. He attended public schools in Quincy. He received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an M.P.A. from Western New England College. He graduated from Suffolk University Law School in 1985 with a J.D. He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he represented the 3rd Norfolk district from 1977 to 1979 and the 1st Norfolk district from 1979 to 1993. He was then elected to the Massachusetts Senate, where he represented the Norfolk and Plymouth district from 1993 to 2011.[2][3]
Morrissey's full term as District Attorney started on January 5, 2011. He was sworn in early on January 2 to succeed William R. Keating, who resigned to take a seat in the United States House of Representatives.[1]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael W. Morrissey | 208,563 | 98.2 | ||
| Write-in | 3,750 | 1.8 | |||
| Total votes | 212,313 | 100.0 | |||
| Blank | 75,606 | ||||
| Turnout | 287,919 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael W. Morrissey | 231,828 | 98.8 | ||
| Write-in | 2,869 | 1.2 | |||
| Total votes | 234,697 | 100.0 | |||
| Blank | 77,455 | ||||
| Turnout | 312,152 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael W. Morrissey | 173,820 | 98.9 | ||
| Write-in | 1,993 | 1.1 | |||
| Total votes | 175,813 | 100.0 | |||
| Blank | 78,414 | ||||
| Turnout | 254,227 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael W. Morrissey | 147,645 | 60.2 | ||
| Independent | John. F Coffey | 97,456 | 39.7 | ||
| Write-in | 354 | .1 | |||
| Total votes | 175,813 | 100.0 | |||
| Blank | 22,924 | ||||
| Turnout | 273,538 | ||||
Controversial Cases
[edit]Commonwealth vs. Karen Read
[edit]Norfolk District Attorney Morrissey’s office announced the arrest of Karen Read on February 2, 2024, in connection with the suspicious death of off-duty Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe. O’Keefe was found unresponsive outside a residence in Canton, Massachusetts in the early morning hours of January 29, 2022 and was pronounced dead shortly after. Read, who was O’Keefe’s girlfriend, was initially charged with manslaughter,[5] to which she pleaded not guilty in Stoughton District Court.[6] On June 9, 2022, the Norfolk District Attorney’s office issued a press release stating that Read was indicted by a Norfolk County grand jury for new charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle homicide, and leaving the scene of a collision causing death.[7]
On August 25, 2023, Morrissey released a video statement addressing widespread public speculation involving conspiracy theories related to the case. He also strongly condemned the alleged intimidation of witnesses. In the recording, Morrissey refers to his message as "the first statement of its kind" in his dozen years as Norfolk District Attorney.[8]
On June 13, 2024, Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator assigned to the case, testified under oath in the Karen Read trial at Norfolk Superior Court. He stated that he had been personally familiar with at least four individuals peripheral to the investigation. Proctor’s testimony indicated the possibility of a conflict of interest, which led to further public questioning of the integrity of cases investigated and prosecuted by the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office under Morrissey.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b State House News Service [1], Wicked Local Burlington, January 1, 2011.
- ^ a b "Member Profile – Michael W. Morrissey Archived 2010-09-24 at the Wayback Machine." Massachusetts General Court.
- ^ a b "Michael W. Morrissey." Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2007–2008). p. 64. Massachusetts General Court.
- ^ "PD43+ » Candidate Profile..." PD43+. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
- ^ Press Release: Mansfield woman arrested for Manslaughter. (2022, February 1). The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Norfolk District Attorney’s Office, nfkda.com. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from http://archive.today/SYaFR
- ^ MacNeill, Arianna (2022-02-02). "Girlfriend charged in death of BPD officer says she didn't realize she might have hit him with SUV". Boston.com. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
- ^ Press Release: Murder Indictment and Arrest in January Death. (2022, June 9).The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Norfolk District Attorney’s Office, nfkda.com. Retrieved October 4, 2014, from http://archive.today/VVUrd
- ^ Klein, Asher; Logan • •, Erin (2023-08-25). "DA hits out at 'baseless' witness harassment around Karen Read case". NBC Boston. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ Patkin, Abby. "Trooper Proctor admits he 'dehumanized' Karen Read in texts". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
External links
[edit]- District attorneys in Norfolk County, Massachusetts
- Democratic Party Massachusetts state senators
- Politicians from Quincy, Massachusetts
- Living people
- 1954 births
- University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni
- Western New England University alumni
- 21st-century American lawyers
- 20th-century American lawyers
- 21st-century Massachusetts politicians
- 20th-century Massachusetts politicians
- 20th-century American legislators
- 21st-century American legislators