A former Suffolk County prosecutor with experience in domestic violence cases announced Tuesday a Democratic bid for Norfolk County district attorney, the heavily scrutinized post responsible for the prosecution of Karen Read and probe into Sandra Birchmore’s death.
Djuna Perkins, a former assistant attorney general and head of the Suffolk County DA’s domestic violence unit from Dedham, threw her hat in the political ring for a post that voters will not decide until 2026 and only days after another local prosecutor floated a bid for the position.
Perkins slammed Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey’s leadership as having “failed” residents.
“Norfolk County must do better. Every resident deserves to feel safe, to be treated fairly, and to trust that no one is above the law. The damage to the justice system and the safety of our communities caused by mistrust of the current district attorney is devastating,” Perkins said in a statement.
Morrissey and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office have been thrust squarely into the spotlight over the past year for the prosecution of Read, a Mansfield woman who authorities accuse of ramming into and killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe.
Local prosecutors have also faced heat for decisions made following the death of Birchmore, a 23-year-old who law enforcement said was strangled to death by a Stoughton police officer while pregnant.
A message left at a number associated with Morrissey was not immediately returned and a spokesperson for the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office did not immediately reply to a Herald inquiry Tuesday morning.
POLITICO Massachusetts first reported Perkins’ candidacy.
Craig MacLellan, a former prosecutor in Suffolk County and practicing defense attorney, told the Herald last week he was “exploring” a run for the seat. He also pointed to the Birchmore and Read cases as a “few examples of why the public has lost confidence in the office.”
“Both cases give rise to serious concerns relative to the objectivity and integrity of the investigative process, which is extremely damaging to the overall mission of the office,” he previously said in a statement to the Herald.
District attorneys serve for four years and voters in Norfolk County will likely not have the chance to weigh in on the race until 2026.
Morrissey has also held onto his job with ease over the past decade.
He last faced a challenger during his first race for district attorney in 2010 after then-District Attorney Bill Keating decided to run for Congress. Morrissey won 47% of the vote in that year’s Democratic primary and 60% of the vote in the general election, according to state data.
Morrissey has not said whether he plans to run for reelection.
Perkins pointed to her decades-long legal career as one reason why residents should back her candidacy. She said she will “demand excellence and the highest ethical standards” as district attorney in Norfolk County.
“Prosecutions will be driven by a dogged determination to find the truth with respect for due process and an open mind free of bias, fear, or favor. I will aggressively prosecute those who prey on and cause harm to others, and I will use all available tools to achieve justice, prevent recidivism, and break cycles of incarceration, addiction, and poverty,” she said.
She worked for more than four years as Massachusetts assistant attorney general in the 1990s, where she served in the narcotics unit, the Safe Neighborhood Initiative, and in appeals, according to her online resume.
As an assistant district attorney in Suffolk County from 1997 to 2002, Perkins was the chief of the domestic violence unit, where she prosecuted “the most egregious crimes of domestic violence” in the area.
“Thirty years ago, I chose a career in law to rectify the injustices I saw around me and to fight for those whose voices might otherwise be ignored. My legal career has focused on complex cases involving sexual misconduct, domestic violence, and discrimination,” she said.