Governor Patrick Appoints Bristol County Acting District Attorney

Governor Deval Patrick named a new Acting District Attorney for Bristol County on Friday.

Thomas M. Quinn III was appointed Acting District Attorney and will be responsible for all Bristol County DA’s office operations effective immediately.

“I am very grateful to Governor Patrick for appointing me to this important position and am humbled by the opportunity to serve the people of Bristol County in this capacity,” Quinn said.

Quinn is replacing former DA Sam Sutter, who resigned after he was elected as Mayor of Fall River. Quinn served as Sutter’s top ranked assistant as First Assistant District Attorney where he supervised all prosecution in Superior Court cases and helped reduce the criminal trial backlog of Bristol County Superior Court.

Sutter expressed his approval of Patrick’s decision to appoint Quinn. “Tom Quinn, in my opinion, is the most qualified attorney to be the next district attorney of Bristol County,” Sutter said. “He has been my co-first assistant for the past eight years, and has been deeply involved in everything we have done for our office to become one of the statewide leaders in the various categories by which district attorney’s offices are judged.”

Quinn has over 16 years experience with the DA’s office and has tried over 100 cases in District and Superior Courts.

He is a member of the Nativity Preparatory School, Bishop Connolly High School, Holy Name Parish advisory boards and has volunteered with youth sports and schools in Fall River and New Bedford for over 10 years. Quinn received the Fall River Diocese’s Saint Thomas Moore award for his service to the law and to the community.

“Tom brings a special depth of experience as a prosecutor in the Bristol County DA’s office,” Patrick said in a statement. “I am making this appointment now to assure the stability of the critical work of the office and fully respect the authority of the incoming Governor to make his own appointment in due course.”

Quinn graduated from the College of the Holy Cross and Suffolk University Law School.

He lives in Fall River with his wife Sharon Quinn and their three children.

The election to choose the next DA will take place in the next biennial election in November 2016.

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