Michael W. Morrissey
Michael W. Morrissey | |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts District Attorney for the Norfolk District | |
| 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 | |
| In office 1976–1993 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph E. Brett |
| Succeeded by | Michael G. Bellotti |
| Constituency | 3rd Norfolk (1977-1979) 1st Norfolk (1979-1993) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 2, 1954 Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence(s) | North Quincy, Quincy, Massachusetts, United States |
| Education | University of Massachusetts Amherst |
| Occupation | Public servant |
| Website | www |
Michael W. Morrissey (born August 2, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the District Attorney of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, since 2011.[1] He was first elected in 2010 and is currently serving his fourth term.
A member of the Democratic Party, he previously represented the Norfolk and Plymouth district in the Massachusetts Senate (1992–2010) and the 1st Norfolk and 3rd Norfolk districts in the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1977–1993).[2]
Biography
Morrissey is a native and lifelong resident of Quincy, Massachusetts.[2] After graduating from North Quincy High School in 1972, he earned his bachelor's degree in history from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Masters in Public Administration from Western New England College. Morrissey earned a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1985 and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar Association on December 17, 1985.[2]
He began his thirty-plus year career as a legislator upon election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 3rd Norfolk district from 1976 to 1979 and the 1st Norfolk district from 1979 to 1993. He was then elected to the Massachusetts Senate, where he served as state senator for the Norfolk and Plymouth district, representing the City of Quincy and towns of Abington, Braintree, Hanover, Holbrook, and Rockland from 1993 to 2010.[3][4]
Morrissey's first term as Norfolk District Attorney began after winning the 2010 District Attorney General Election. He was sworn in early, on January 2, 2011, to succeed William R. Keating, who had resigned from his position as Norfolk DA to serve in the United States House of Representatives.[1]
Electoral History
Source:[5]
| 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 | ||||
Controversy
Two recent cases involving Norfolk District Attorney Morrissey's office, the deaths of John O'Keefe and Sandra Birchmore, have cast public doubt on prosecutorial integrity and law enforcement accountability.[6] These allegations led to the launch of a federal probe, as well as an independent audit of the Canton Police Department by the firm 5 Stones Intelligence, which uncovered evidence of "antiquated policing."[7]
Commonwealth vs. Karen Read
Norfolk District Attorney Morrissey's office announced the arrest of Karen Read on February 2, 2022 in connection with the death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe. O'Keefe was found unconscious on the front lawn of fellow Boston Police Officer, Brian Albert, in Canton. Read was initially charged with manslaughter.[8][9]
On June 9, 2022, the Norfolk District Attorney's office issued a press release stating that Karen Read had again been taken into custody by the Massachusetts State Police.[10] A new warrant had been issued following a decision by a Norfolk County grand jury to indict Read for felony criminal charges including homicide, motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident causing personal injury resulting in death.[10]
On Friday, August 25, 2023, before the trial even began, District Attorney Morrissey's office released a pre-recorded video statement declaring Read's guilt and defending the innocence of the witnesses of the case. He claimed that the "constitutional presumption of innocence" should be afforded to these witnesses, who were not on trial, yet did not defend the same right for Read.[11]
Read's first trial resulted in a mistrial on July 1, 2024, due to a hung jury. On June 18, 2025, Read's retrial resulted in a verdict of "not guilty" on all major charges. She was found guilty of operating a vehicle under the influence, receiving the standard sentence of one year probation. Morrissey's only comment was, "The jury has spoken."[12]
Killing of Sandra Birchmore
On February 4, 2021, 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore, a native of Stoughton, Massachusetts, was found dead in her Canton, Massachusetts apartment following a wellness check. She was three months pregnant at the time. Her death was initially ruled a suicide by the state medical examiner, and in a 2022 statement, the Norfolk District Attorney's Office spokesperson said their initial investigation “found no evidence of foul play” in Birchmore's death.[13]
Federal authorities[14] later determined that her death was a homicide, alleging that a former Stoughton Police Officer, Matthew Farwell, murdered Birchmore, tampered with her digital devices, and staged the scene to appear as if the victim had taken her own life. Farwell's federal indictment[14] was announced by acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy at a nationally-broadcast press conference in August 2024.[15][16]
Authorities allege Birchmore and Farwell had a sexual relationship for years, beginning in 2013 when the two were 15 and 27, respectively. Farwell reportedly forced her to participate in violent rape fantasies. In late 2020, Birchmore informed Farwell that she was pregnant. Before her death, Birchmore disclosed to several people that Farwell had been physically violent with her.[17]
In June 2025, it was revealed that a DNA test found that Farwell was not the father of Birchmore's unborn child.[18]
References
- ^ a b State House News Service [1], Wicked Local Burlington, January 1, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Michael W. Morrissey, Norfolk County District Attorney | Mass.gov". Mass.gov, Official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 2024. Archived from the original on 31 October 2024. Retrieved 30 Oct 2024.
- ^ "Member Profile – Michael W. Morrissey Archived 2010-09-24 at the Wayback Machine." Massachusetts General Court.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Cotter, Sean. "'Not just one big scandal, but two': Norfolk DA Michael Morrissey on rocky political ground after Read, Birchmore cases - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. The Boston Globe.
- ^ Fortier, Marc; Kath, Ryan (2025-04-01). "Canton police audit released: Full 200-page report, analysis and reaction". NBC Boston. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
- ^ 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 https://archive.today/20241005002617/https://www.nfkda.com/Press_Releases/02-01-22%20Read%20arrested%20in%20Okeefe%20manslaughter.pdf
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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 https://archive.today/20241005002911/https://www.nfkda.com/Press_Releases/06-09-22%20Murder%20Indictment%20and%20Arrest%20in%20January%20Death.pdf
- ^ NBC10 Boston (2024-03-31). FULL VIDEO: DA Morrissey's video statement on Karen Read case. Retrieved 2025-06-23 – via YouTube.
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Whittle, Patrick (2025-06-20). "Investigator and jurors speak out about Karen Read murder trial in aftermath of not guilty verdict". AP News. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
- ^ "What did investigators miss in the Sandra Birchmore case?". BostonGlobe.com.
- ^ a b "District of Massachusetts | Former Massachusetts Police Officer Arrested in Connection with Murder of Young Woman | United States Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. 2024-08-28. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
- ^ Daniel, Ted (28 August 2024). "Sandra Birchmore's death initially investigated by state law enforcement". Boston 25 News. (URL inaccessible outside United States; archived version freely accessible). Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2024..
- ^ Cristantiello, Ross (September 3, 2024). "Sandra Birchmore case timeline". Boston.com.
- ^ Cristantiello, Ross. "Sandra Birchmore case timeline". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
- ^ Sudborough, Susannah (2025-06-13). "Ex-detective charged with killing Sandra Birchmore was not her baby's father, report says". masslive. Retrieved 2025-06-23.