By Scott MacKeen
Staff Writer
1/13/11
With law enforcement officials on hand, Michael Morrissey, a lifelong Quincy resident, was sworn in as Norfolk County district attorney.

Friends and colleagues described Morrissey as a tenacious, dedicated and persistent public servant during an inauguration ceremony at Curry College on Jan. 5.

Morrissey, a senator and attorney, and father of two, was elected district attorney in the Nov. 2 election. He replaces another Quincy native – William Keating – who won the 10th Congressional district seat on Election Day.

“I’ve held a public trust for many years [in public service] and I take that trust seriously,” said Morrissey, who was first elected as a state representative in 1977.

He said he intends to explore “new and innovative ways to fight crime,” but added, “I’d rather prevent a crime than prosecute one.

“Success in prevention is not easy to measure and it can be hard to engineer. But it is not a task that I or even this office will undertake alone. Leadership is about listening.

“As I take this office, it is my intent to work closely with our police partners and cement those relationships. It is also my intent to work closely with our schools, our senior centers, our communities and coalitions to hear what you need, hear what you believe will make you safer, our children safer, our communities stronger.”

Anthony Campo, Morrissey’s longtime former law partner – and current chairman of the Curry College board of trustees – said the new DA is someone who “is always able to find a common bond” with people.

“Mike Morrissey is the most hardworking person you will ever work with. He is very, very diligent,” said Campo.

Campo was a 22-year partner with Morrissey at Boston-based Boyle, Morrissey & Campo. He said Morrissey was always the first to recruit and train young attorneys to the practice.

Gov. Deval Patrick administered the oath of office. He called Morrissey a “person of integrity, tenacity, leadership and vision.”

Secretary of State William Galvin said Morrissey “has an excellent legal mind” and is a strong administrator.

Many of Norfolk County’s police chiefs and officers were on hand for the ceremony.

Morrissey earned a master’s degree in public administration from Western New England College in 1981 and a Juris Doctor degree from Suffolk Law School in 1985.