Norfolk County ‘ready for real change’ from embattled DA Michael Morrissey as race grows

Candidates running for Norfolk County District Attorney say the growing field signals that residents are ready for real change from the embattled Michael Morrissey with a former federal prosecutor the latest to enter the fray Adam Deitch who led the federal examination into the death of Boston police officer John O Keefe says he has received an incredible response from Norfolk County residents since launching his campaign on Tuesday Deitch who also investigated the ensuing state review and prosecution of O Keefe s girlfriend Karen Read joins Dedham resident Djuna Perkins and Cohasset resident Craig MacLellan as candidates looking to take over the Norfolk DA s office I m looking forward to spending all of my time over the next year Deitch narrated the Herald on Wednesday talking with voters across the county about my positive vision for the future of the District Attorney s Office Given my experience as a federal prosecutor focused on corruption cases working to put a microscope to entrenched institutions he added including right here in Norfolk County I believe I am uniquely qualified for this job in this moment The federal research that Deitch led into O Keefe s death and Read s prosecution did not consequence in any charges but the grand jury was acknowledged often during Read s murder trials Adam Deitch Photo courtesy Deitch campaign Morrissey has yet to announce whether he intends to run for a fifth four-year term in next November s voting process He has served as Norfolk County s lead prosecutor since being elected in His office did not respond to a Herald inquiry on Wednesday I think the level of interest in this race shows that the people of Norfolk County are ready for real change in the District Attorney s office Deitch revealed Shortly after a jury acquitted Read of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend in June a poll surfaced showing that an overwhelming majority of Norfolk County residents are ready to elect a new DA Opinion Diagnostics a Massachusetts-based polling and sphere research firm identified that only of Norfolk County residents who met the qualifications to be selected as jurors and responded to a post-verdict survey affirmatively believe Morrissey deserves reelection Deitch broadcasted his campaign the same day that Read sued viewers from her murder incident who she argues framed her for the killing of O Keefe and are veritably involved in his death In his campaign announcement Deitch declared he s seen firsthand what happens when police and prosecutors take shortcuts rush to judgment and then stubbornly won t consider other possibilities innocent people are wrongfully accused crimes go unsolved and bad cops are protected while good officers lose faith That s what we need to change in Norfolk County he added Perkins and MacLellan both former Suffolk County prosecutors have also been critical of Morrissey s handling of the Read prosecution Money and materials poured into her two murder trials could have been better used in other high-level cases that have thrust the Norfolk DA s Office into the spotlight they ve argued Those cases among others include the death of Sandra Birchmore a -year-old Canton resident who functionaries announced was strangled to death in by a Stoughton cop while pregnant and the death of Ana Walshe a -year-old mother of three allegedly dismembered by her husband Brian Walshe of Cohasset MacLellan who served as a Suffolk Assistant District Attorney and then an assessing staff attorney at the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct says he expects to see the candidate field grow even more in the coming weeks and he s grateful to be among them The manner in which the Norfolk County DA s Office serves residents requirements to be altogether reimagined by applying an approach that builds awareness seeks society input and earns trust MacLellan a practicing defense attorney described the Herald on Wednesday Having a full field of accomplished candidates is a great first step towards electing a DA that will restore our society s confidence in its criminal justice complex he added Courtesy of Craig MacLellanCraig MacLellan a former prosecutor in Suffolk County and practicing defense attorney is running for Norfolk County district attorney Courtesy of Craig MacLellan Perkins who broadcasted her candidacy in September just days after MacLellan revealed he d explore a run worked as a Massachusetts assistant attorney general in the s She then served as the Suffolk DA s chief of the domestic violence unit from to Perkins stated the Herald on Wednesday that she welcomes Deitch to the race It is clear that voters want to put an end to the outrage and failed prosecutions in the Norfolk DA s office and I know that my unrivaled years experience as an attorney helping hundreds of Massachusetts families get justice for chosen of the majority heinous crimes imaginable and having served as an Assistant District Attorney and Assistant Attorney General in Massachusetts state courts best suits me to do so Courtesy of Djuna PerkinsDedham resident Djuna Perkins is running for Norfolk County DA Courtesy of Djuna Perkins