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…