Norfolk DA Program to Help Businesses Recover Bad Check Losses

Businesses can get back the full value of the bad check - no matter the dollar amount, the DA's office announced.

  Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey this week launched a new way for Dedham businesses to deal with bad checks. “The existing ways of dealing with bounced checks has left a lot of merchants, tradesmen and small businesses frustrated and still out their money,” Morrissey said in a statement. “This kind of crime is an indirect theft from the honest customers who have to pay higher prices to cover the loss. We wanted to find a good way to deal with bad checks.” The program has five key components: Business owners and managers can visit www.norfolkda.com for additional information. “The objective is to make merchants whole and to give offenders some education on the consequences of passing bad checks. Many falsely believe …

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Norfolk County DA Warns Local Schools of Ongoing Facebook Fraud

An area student has been the victim of an Internet crime on Facebook, DA Michael Morrissey reported recently.

  Parents, educators and local police should be wary of students falling into a Facebook trap by someone who created a fake profile posing as a teenage girl, Norfolk County district attorney Michael Morrissey said in a letter received by local school districts. An area student – Morrissey did not specify which town – recently friended someone appearing on Facebook as "Sarah John," whose photo made her appear to be a teenager and who has yet to be identified. "After a few months as a passive friend, this Sarah John initiated conversations that led to the student sharing personal information," Morrissey wrote in the letter. "Sarah John is now trying to extort money from the student and has threatened to make this very personal information …

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VIDEO: Norfolk DA Calls on Bar Staff to Save Lives

Michael Morrissey launched a county-wide 'Observe, Don't Over Serve' campaign on Monday.

Bar staff at restaurants across Norfolk County have a chance to save lives this holiday season by "observing" patrons and not to "over serve," Norfolk County district attorney Michael Morrissey said. Morrissey held three meetings with bar owners, local police chiefs and media on Monday in Dedham, Braintree and Foxborough.  Bartenders and wait staff should be careful not to over serve customers, which can help cut down on vehicular deaths, Morrissey said during a press conference at Kings. According to the district attorney's office, Norfolk County has seen 60 such deaths to date in 2011, and Morrissey estimates that 50 are alcohol-related.

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Manor Neighborhood Watch Unites Against Crime, Gets Tips from Brockton Cop

The Manor Neighborhood Watch Group hosted a meeting at Dedham Town Hall on Wednesday evening to find ways to eliminate criminal activity.

The Dedham community continues to make strides in its ongoing battle against crime as concerned citizens gathered at Dedham Town Hall at a meeting of the Manor Neighborhood Watch Group.  Parks and Recreation Commission member Jim Maher created the organization with Dorothy Victoria, a Dedham resident for more than 70 years. Manor neighborhood residents gather atmonthly meetings to discuss criminal activity in the area. "I’d seen enough crime in the area," Victoria said, noting the group's formation nearly one year ago. “We couldn't just sit there and do nothing." Victoria recognizes interest in the organization continues to grow, and the group's presence is expanding as a result. "More neighbors are starting to hear about the [Manor …

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5 Things You Need To Know Today: April 20

Today's weather,

"Five Things you Need to Know Today" is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. 

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Norfolk DA Warning Parents about Opiate Abuse

Michael Morrissey taped a spot for cable access stations in Norfolk County.

District attorney Michael Morrissey will launch a series of cable access shows that discuss drug abuse and how parents can talk with their kids about opiate use. "The primary focus of our office has to be aggressively prosecuting crimes committed in our communities. But a small investment in education can lead to preventing  many senseless crimes that not only cause a great deal of suffering, but are very costly to the taxpayers," Norfolk County district attorney Morrissey said. The shows will discuss consequences of drug use, bad teenage decision making, and other societal issues aimed to educate parents and the general public. Morrissey's first show discusses prescription drug abuse of medications like Oxycontin. Opiate overdose deaths …

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Morrissey Beats 2 Challengers in Dem Nod for Norfolk DA

Mike Morrissey won the Democratic nomination for Norfolk District Attorney Tuesday night, and will face Independent candidate John Coffey of Dedham in November.

State Sen. Mike Morrissey (D-Quincy) came out victorious for the Democratic nod for Norfolk County district attorney in Tuesday's state primary. Morrissey won the election by more than 5,000 votes. State Rep. Joseph Driscoll was the runner up in the election, and Michael Chinman placed third. There was no Republican candidate on Tuesday's ticket. Morrissey, born and raised in Quincy, has been a state legislator for more than 30 years. Since 1992 he has been the state senator in the Norfolk district. Morrissey was the only candidate with no experience as a prosecutor, while Chinman resigned from his job in March as a Middlesex County assistant district attorney to run for the top job in Norfolk. Driscoll prosecuted cases in Braintree. …

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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.) 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 …

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