Four More Cases Dismissed Due to Braintree Police Evidence Audit

BRAINTREE, MA — More criminal cases have been dropped in the wake of an audit that shows massive problems in the way the Braintree Police Department handled evidence.

The Norfolk County District Attorney's office announced that four additional criminal cases compromised by the deficiencies and activities documented in the audit were withdrawn from prosecution in the Quincy District Court by the filing of individual nolle prosequi – an executive action not requiring judicial action. That brings the total cases dismissed to 10, according to multiple reports.

Since the audit, the DA's office has contacted defense attorneys who may have had Braintree clients in the past several years. Roughly 200 attorney notification letters have been sent and conversations have been held with senior staff at the Committee for Public Counsel Services offices serving the Quincy District and Norfolk Superior Courts, and the state head of CPCS, the DA's office said in a statement.

The findings of the audit was announced Wednesday by Mayor Joseph Sullivan. The audit found that thousands of pieces of evidence, dozens of firearms, and nearly $408,000 were unaccounted for.

The Commissioner of Probation Edward Dolan, judges, all other state District Attorneys, Attorney General Maura Healey, and the United States Attorney for Massachusetts have been contacted and notified of the situation.

Mindful of the impact these disclosures may have on public perception and confidence, District Attorney Michael Morrissey has decided to offer substantial grants to any municipal police departments in Norfolk County that believe that they are due for an evidence audit to defray much or most of the cost of that audit, the release said, The amount offered in grant money will be determined through an accounting of available monies in the office's drug forfeiture account.

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