A former federal prosecutor has jumped into the race for Norfolk District Lawyer, the most recent to tackle embattled incumbent Michael Morrissey who has but to say if he’ll search re-election.
Quincy man Adam Deitch, who served as an Assistant U.S. Lawyer in Massachusetts earlier than stepping down earlier this month, introduced his candidacy on Tuesday.
“I’ve been proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder every day of my career as a prosecutor with outstanding, hard-working police officers, troopers, and federal agents,” Deitch stated in his marketing campaign announcement. “But I’ve also 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.”
Deitch has expertise in a lot of excessive profile instances within the state, together with the federal investigation into the demise of Boston Police officer John O’Keefe and the next investigation and prosecution of Karen Learn. That federal investigation didn’t end in any prices, however the grand jury was acknowledged throughout Learn’s trial.
The Norfolk DA’s workplace tried Learn twice on prices of homicide linked to O’Keefe’s demise. The primary trial in 2024 ended mistrial. The second ended this previous June when a jury acquitted her on all of the indicted prices. She was convicted of drunk driving.
Learn yesterday filed a civil swimsuit, claiming the case was framed towards her and naming as defendants members of the state police and quite a few witnesses towards her.
Deitch was additionally a part of the prosecution workforce that filed fraud prices towards activist Monica Cannon-Grant and obtained convictions within the industrial drivers license rip-off towards members of the State Police.
Further candidates within the race embrace Djuna Perkins, a former Suffolk County prosecutor, and Cohasset lawyer Craig MacLellan, additionally a former Suffolk ADA.
Deitch is a lifelong Democrat, based on his marketing campaign announcement. Previous to working within the federal prosecutor’s workplace, he was in non-public apply the place he defended New York law enforcement officials in federal courtroom. Deitch additionally cites volunteer work with the Innocence Venture throughout his time as a personal lawyer and as a pupil.
“This campaign is about more than electing a new District Attorney,” stated Deitch. “It’s about building a culture of accountability and integrity where professional police work protects victims, not insiders, and where we follow the evidence no matter where it leads or who it implicates.”
