Holding public office is a responsibility to others, not a personal benefit to the elected official. We need leaders who demonstrate a genuine commitment to those they serve by remaining connected and accountable. The Norfolk County District Attorney has failed in this most basic responsibility.

A sensationalized trial has cast a veil of distrust over the entire Norfolk County DA’s Office. Despite national attention, the DA has essentially remained unaccounted for, allowing drama and discord to overshadow the tragic loss of human life at issue. The DA’s failure to properly manage Officer John O’Keefe’s case and other major investigations, such as the death of Sandra  Birchmore, a young woman who was allegedly raped, impregnated, and killed by a Stoughton Police Officer (and whose death was ruled a suicide until federal authorities took over) and the gruesome murder of Ana Walshe in my hometown (about which the DA has never spoken to our community), has left residents doubting the DA’s competence, objectivity, and commitment.

Wasteful spending of public funds on special counsel to prosecute the Read case, when any number of capable, salaried assistant DA’s could have handled it, raises serious concerns about the DA’s ability to make sound fiscal decisions. These are but a few  elements of one undeniable truth: the current DA is no longer deserving of the important public position we have entrusted him with. That is why I am running for  Norfolk County DA.

Over the past nine months, I travelled across Norfolk County to listen to residents. Two common themes emerged: many aren’t sure of who the DA is or what the office does and, those who do know, view the DA as ineffective,  unprofessional and, in many cases, incompetent. Throughout dozens of conversations, nobody I spoke with could cite a single instance in which the Norfolk  DA made a public appearance in their community. This is unacceptable.

The current DA was first elected to public office in 1977 – nearly fifty years ago.  He will have served four, four-year terms as DA by the 2026 election – three of which were unopposed. During his largely unchallenged tenure, we have seen  a concerning erosion of the public’s confidence in this critically impactful office.  At the heart of all operations at the DA’s office, there needs to be competent,  professional leadership that inspires confidence and demonstrates a knowledge of criminal justice and the law. It’s time to reimagine the way in which our DA serves  Norfolk County. It’s time for a new brand of leadership – one that takes an energetic and engaging approach to public safety.

As I see it, the cornerstones of effective government are professionalism,  communication, collaboration, empathy, and accountability. Proactive, visible leadership and a community-centered approach to prosecution will deliver a high-

performing, service-oriented DA’s office to Norfolk County; one worthy of the public’s trust and support.

Accountability is the most important element of good government. It requires visibility and accessibility. In Norfolk County, our DA is invisible and inaccessible, and the ensuing long-term lack of accountability has yielded catastrophic results.

Criminal investigations need to capture the full picture so that informed, objective decisions can be made. We must steer away from personal or political bias and bring an open-minded, fact-based approach to each case. I am not a politician; I am a criminal law attorney. I have served as both prosecutor and defense counsel, advocating on behalf of thousands of people with different stories and challenges. I have spent countless hours within the criminal courts of this Commonwealth over a twenty-year career and I have seen, firsthand, what a vital role empathy – a true understanding of all relevant perspectives – plays in criminal justice. This is the type of professional experience we need in our DA.

When I began my legal career, I was given a quote that still guides my approach  to criminal justice today:

“The citizens safety lies in the prosecutor who tempers zeal with human  kindness, who seeks truth and not victims, who serves the law and not  factional purposes, and who approaches [their] task with humility.” – Robert H. Jackson, former U.S. Attorney General and Supreme Court Justice

I think that’s the perspective we need to bring to Norfolk County. Let’s do it together.

Craig MacLellan (Courtesy of Craig MacLellan)