Norfolk DA Morrissey’s controversial cases have spurred several rivals to run for his seat

Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey has overseen some of Massachusetts’ highest-profile cases in recent years — from the prosecution of Karen Read in the death of her boyfriend to the investigation into the death of Sandra Birchmore, a 23-year-old pregnant woman who authorities now allege was strangled by a Stoughton police officer.

But those two cases were engulfed in controversy. Morrissey's office failed — twice — to secure Read’s conviction on murder charges. And he, alongside the state medical examiner, initially determined that Birchmore died by suicide, rather than murder.

Those perceived missteps have prompted four candidates to run for Norfolk County district attorney in next year’s election.

Adam Deitch is a former federal prosecutor who worked on a federal investigation into Norfolk’s handling of the Read case and the death of her boyfriend, Boston Police officer John O’Keefe.

Deitch launched his campaign for district attorney last month, saying the Read and Birchmore cases “indicate that there is a severe problem in Norfolk County.”

He said the residents of the county “have a right to expect that their district attorney's office will be defined by competence, trust and professionalism, and where the goal is the fair and just outcome, not just winning or charging someone.”

As challengers line up for his job, Morrissey, 71, has yet to confirm whether he plans to run for reelection after 15 years as DA. He’s again in the spotlight with the murder trial for Brian Walshe, who is accused of killing and dismembering his wife Ana, in 2023. Walshe has pleaded not guilty to murder.

Morrissey did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

The Quincy Democrat is DA of a county that stretches from Wellesley to Plainville, with 28 municipalities and more than 725,000 residents. He runs an office of roughly 120 people that handles about 20,000 cases a year, on a nearly $15 million budget. In Massachusetts, district attorneys are responsible for trying criminal cases brought in conjunction with local police.

Morrissey’s decisions in the Read and Birchmore cases have become fodder for his opponents.

The first Read trial lasted two-and-a-half months and ended with a deadlocked jury. The second trial, where a jury found her not guilty of the most serious charges she faced, reportedly cost taxpayers more than $1.4 million, in part because Morrissey turned to a special prosecutor to try the case.

Shortly after jurors came to a verdict in Read’s second case — she was found guilty only of driving under the influence — special prosecutor Hank Brennan defended the Norfolk County DA’s handling of the case against Read, saying the evidence “led to one person, and only one person.”

“Neither the closed federal investigation nor my independent review led me to identify any other possible suspect or person responsible for the death of John O’Keefe,” he said in a statement. No charges were filed as a result of the closed federal investigation into the Norfolk DA's investigation and prosecution of Read.

In the Birchmore case, Morrissey declined to file charges after the state medical examiner’s office found the 23-year-old had died by suicide. Morrissey’s office has previously said the determination was made based on the evidence available to investigators at the time.

But federal agents last year arrested former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell and accused him of strangling Birchmore to death in early 2021, after she claimed she was pregnant with his child. Farwell has pleaded not guilty.

Morrissey has faced blowback for declaring the death a suicide and not pursuing the case.

Djuna Perkins, a former assistant attorney general and Suffolk County prosecutor who is running for Norfolk County DA, said Morrissey has “really eroded the community’s trust in the DA’s office.”

If elected, she said she would reinterview “everybody in the office” to see who should remain in the office.

“There may well be people who have their hearts in the right place, and are hardworking, and they just haven't had the right leadership,” Perkins said in an interview.

A spokesperson for the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on Morrissey’s reelection plans or what they described as “political attacks” against him.

Up to now, Morrissey has easily won reelection in uncontested races. His last Democratic primary was in 2010, when he beat two other opponents with more than 46% of the vote and easily glided through the general election.

Another contender for Norfolk DA is Craig MacLellan, a former Suffolk County prosecutor and Democrat from Cohasset. He said residents need a district attorney who’s not a career politician.

“The reason to run for DA is not prestige or ego or political gain. I mean, we've seen folks hold the office for those reasons. Doesn't work,” he said in an interview. “You need someone in there that is running for that position because they truly, in their heart of hearts, want to serve Norfolk County.”

Jim Barakat, a defense attorney from Quincy, is also running for Norfolk County DA. Barakat has focused his campaign on police accountability, reducing the prison population, diversion and decriminalization, and supporting victims of crimes, according to his campaign website.