Politics & Government

For Norfolk DA Hopefuls, Tuesday Is About Experience

Three Democrats lobbied for votes Thursday in Norwood ahead of Tuesday's primary for Norfolk County district attorney.

Registered Republicans won't get much of a say in this year's Norfolk County district attorney's race.

With three candidates vying for the Democratic nomination on Tuesday, and without a Republican challenger, the winner of the nomination will face-off against just an Independent Party candidate in November. 

(Due to a factual error, a previous version said the winner of the Democratic primary would win the seat, and begin serving in January.)

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With that in mind, the three candidates - Michael Morrissey, Joseph Driscoll and Michael Chinman - strongly emphasized their resumes and their opponents faults on Thursday at the Norwood Senior Center.

Morrissey, currently a state senator, told senior voters of his record as a trial lawyer representing victims in crime-related civil cases like wrongful death suits, his experience running a firm of "50 attorneys," and writing crime laws as a legislator. 

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Morrissey admitted he's never prosecuted a criminal case, but part of the job of a district attorney is to find the right prosecutor.

"It's a skill to pick talent," he said. "We need someone who has tried cases, run a law firm and written laws."

Chinman painted himself as a stark contrast to the two current legislators. Chinman said he has 15 years of experience as an assistant district attorney working to help victims.

"I have scores and scores of those trial convictions of the most serious criminals," Chinman said.

Driscoll said he has prosecuted two superior court cases with one conviction.

Then the question that won't go away landed on the table - "Would you move the district attorney's office to Dedham?"

The questions stems from a media interview Driscoll gave that said if he had a "magic wand" he would move the Canton office back to Dedham because it makes sense to have the office in the same location where prosecutors and trying cases.

But any notion to move the location of the offices quickly met opposition from Morrissey and Chinman.

The county has three more years on its Canton office space, according to Chinman, therefore it is moot to discuss plans three years from now.

"We don't know what the plan is going to be in two years from now. We don't know where the courts will be," Chinman said. "We're not talking about magic wands, we are talking about reality."

A state court relocation committee is investigating where the Commonwealth can save money by consolidating and moving courts.

Driscoll stuck by the idea of eventually relocating back to Dedham Square. He said it would reduce costs on overhead, and that is money the county could reallocate to the courtroom and victim services.

"The fact of the matter is, it is important to have a prosecutor in the office," he said.

But to find "24,000 feet of office space" in Dedham Square will present a challenge - in addition to the lease agreement, Morrissey said.

"This is going to take some planning," he said. "You don't throw this out in the middle of an election year."


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