Swansea native, former Assistant District Attorney enters race for Bristol County D.A

Swansea native and former Assistant District Attorney Shannon McMahon has entered the race for Bristol County District Attorney.

McMahon is set to challenge for the Democratic Party nomination against incumbent Thomas Quinn.

McMahon issued the following statement announcing her candidacy Wednesday.

“The District Attorney is the Lead Prosecutor for all crimes charged in Bristol County. However, the job comes with an inherent need to keep the community safe. The current administration has not been focused on that because it does not understand the communities, which have changed. We must change with it. I believe that, through my platform outlined below, we can make this community safer, reduce crime and make Bristol County the place I know it can be.

“Previously, I was an Assistant District Attorney, first under Sam Sutter, and then Thomas Quinn. Currently, I am a Senior Trial Attorney for Civil Litigation, in Raynham, MA.

“I have the experience, vision and energy to lead the Bristol County District Attorneys’ Office. We are living in difficult times. We need a District Attorney who has the energy to adapt to the changes in our community. I am that person. I plan to do the following:

“Decrease Repeat Offender Rate: The maximum sentence for those incarcerated at the Bristol County House of Corrections is two and a half years. The individuals who are incarcerated there will be back living in our community. We must make it less likely that when they return to our community that they commit another crime. I plan to work with the Sheriff’s Department, the Police Departments and the community to institute programs that will help with this major problem. We have a civic obligation to the community to do this. We must be tough on crime after the individuals go to jail. Traditionally, this has not been done. After the verdict, no one has paid any attention to the individuals when they return to our community until they commit another crime. This is a travesty and I believe we can do far better.

“2. Recovery Court: Bristol County was one of the first Recovery Courts in the nation. These courts are designed to allow prosecution of drug related offenses while helping addicts recover from addiction. As the former Head Assistant District Attorney of the Recovery Court, I have seen first-hand the successes that this court has brought to Bristol County. It saddened me to discover that the current administration de-funded this program. Considering that most counties in Massachusetts have some form of recovery court, because the statistics show it is successful at preventing repeat offenders, it was shocking to hear that this administration stopped funding it. When elected, I plan to properly fund the recovery court.

“3. Relationship with the Community: The relationship between the Police Departments and community must be repaired. This is imperative. We can start by the district attorney’s office and police officers having a presence in schools to have an open dialogue with the community. I plan on having Assistant District Attorneys with Police Officers in training so we can effectively prosecute crimes. Finally, I will meet regularly with the Chief of Police for each community to identify the problems that exist in each community. I will have a firm pulse on what is going on in each town so we can work on their individual problems.

“Born and raised in Swansea Massachusetts, I graduated from Joseph Case High School in 1998. I went on to complete my Bachelor of Science Degree at Roger Williams University with a double major in Political Science and English Literature. After graduating, I worked at a law firm in Connecticut prior to relocating back to Bristol County in 2004. In 2008, I was excited to learn that UMass-Dartmouth was opening a law school. Given that I had two small children, the proximity of the law school to Swansea afforded me the opportunity to apply.

“In 2008, I was admitted to UMass-Dartmouth School of Law. While I attended Law School, I clerked for the presiding Honorable Judge Robert Kane and was elected Editor in Chief of the UMass-Dartmouth Law Review, all while bartending and raising two children. I graduated at the top of my class. Following graduation, I clerked for the Superior Courts of New Bedford, Fall River and Taunton. After completing my clerkship, I went into private practice where I focused on criminal defense until I was hired by former Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter. As an Assistant District Attorney, I spent most of my tenure in New Bedford District Court where I was the Recovery Court’s Head Assistant District Attorney, a position which I believe uniquely qualifies me to lead the Bristol County District Attorneys’ Office. In addition to my responsibilities with the Recovery Court, I also prosecuted a variety of other crimes, such as domestic violence and sexual assault cases.”

In February, Thomas Quinn announced his run for re-election with the following statement.

“I am announcing my candidacy for a third term as Bristol County District Attorney. In January 2015, I was appointed District Attorney by both Governors Patrick and Baker. I have since been elected twice by the citizens of Bristol County.

I became District Attorney because of the support of the citizens of Bristol County, for which I am forever grateful. It has been a privilege and honor to serve the people of Bristol County for the last 7 years.

My office has had a number of accomplishments while I have been the District Attorney. These include obtaining convictions in the high-profile cases of Aaron Hernandez and Michelle Carter.

I have fought hard to keep violent criminals off the streets by utilizing “dangerousness hearings” to protect the community and vulnerable victims. During the pandemic, we were successful in preventing the wholesale release of dangerous defendants.

I started a first of its kind Elder Fraud Unit to protect our seniors from fraud and abuse through prosecution and prevention.

I have personally visited every senior center throughout Bristol County to speak with our seniors about these important issues.

My office is active in the community working with local partners to address the opioid epidemic, domestic violence and teen safety issues.

I created a Cold Case Unit to thoroughly review unsolved homicides and violent sexual assault cases. Through these efforts my office has solved two homicide cases and the case of a serial rapist from the late 90’s who brutally raped 4 women. This defendant is now serving 50 years in State Prison.

We also started a DNA collection initiative for convicted felons who have not provided DNA as required by law. This will assist in solving cold cases.

My priority is the safety of the citizens of Bristol County. People have a right to feel safe in their communities. I grew up in this County and raised my family here. With your continued support, I look forward to serving the people of Bristol County for another four years.”

According to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office in response to McMahon’s statement concerning Recovery Court, “the drug courts are fully funded by the state trial court division and have been for years now. Prior to the court system funding the drug courts, our office actually stepped in to help apply for and oversee a grant to bolster and upgrade the drug court in New Bedford during a rough fiscal time. At the time, we were the only DA’s office in the state to provide this level of financial and hands on support. Bristol County now has successful drug courts in all four district courts, and our office continues to support them and work closely with them. At no time did our office ever defund anything related to the drug courts.”

In response to McMahon’s claim of being head assistant district attorney of the recovery court, the district attorney’s office said no such position exists within their office.