John J. Droney | |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts District Attorney for theNorthern District | |
| In office 1961–1983 | |
| Preceded by | James O'Dea Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Scott Harshbarger |
| Acting October 22, 1959 – 1961 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1911 |
| Died | November 3, 1989(1989-11-03) (aged 77–78) Medford, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis |
| Resting place | Cambridge Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Margaret M. McDougall |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Suffolk University (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Battles/wars | |
John Joseph Droney (1911–1989) was an American politician who served as district attorney ofMiddlesex County, Massachusetts from 1959 to 1983.
Droney was raised inCambridge, Massachusetts. He played football and hockey atCambridge High School. His father, a linesman for theMetropolitan Transit Authority, was killed in 1929 and Droney worked two jobs to support his mother and sisters. In 1937, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Cambridge city council.[1]
Droney served in theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II. He rose to the rank ofsignalman and participated in theBattle of Iwo Jima and theBattle of Okinawa.[1]
Droney graduated fromSuffolk University Law School in 1941 and passed the bar in 1942. After the War, Droney opened a law office in Cambridge'sCentral Square.[1] In 1957 he joined the staff of Middlesex County district attorneyJames O'Dea Jr. In April 1958 he was named first assistant.[2]
O'Dea resigned as Middlesex District Attorney in 1959 and moved out of state. At the behest of United States SenatorJohn F. Kennedy, GovernorFoster Furcolo appointed Droney as O'Dea's interim replacement.[2] He was confirmed by theMassachusetts Governor's Council on October 22, 1959, and sworn in the same day.[3] After taking office, Droney instituted gaming raids that resulted in 50 arrests.[4] He was elected to a complete O'Dea's term in 1960, defeating John Zamparelli in the Democratic primary and James F. Mahan in the general election.[5][6] He ran for a full term in 1962. He beat John F. Cremens and Albert R. Menzoff in the Democratic primary andWilliam G. Andrew in the general election.[7][8]
In 1977, Droney named formerVietnam Veterans Against the War spokesman and unsuccessful congressional candidateJohn Kerry as his first assistant.[9] Afteramyotrophic lateral sclerosis resulted in Droney needing to use a wheelchair and made it difficult for him to speak, Kerry served as his chief spokesman and surrogate.[10] Droney's health was the main issue during the 1978 election, which saw him challenged by assistant attorney generalScott Harshbarger and former Metropolitan District CommissionerGuy Carbone in what was seen as his toughest re-election fight.[11][12] In that year's Democratic primary, Droney beat Harshbarger 43% to 40%, with third-place candidate Carbone receiving the remaining 17% of the vote.[13] Kerry left the DA's office in 1979 to pursue other opportunities.[10]
In 1961, Droney charged Middlesex County sheriff Howard W. Fitzpatrick and three guards with negligence after jail master David Robinson was killed in a jail break. The indictment was thrown out by judge Robert Sullivan.[14]
Along with theMassachusetts State Police and theLincoln Police Department, Droney's office investigated the 1961disappearance of Joan Risch. He placed assistant district attorney Richard Kelley in charge of the case and when four state police detectives were assigned to his office in December 1962, one was tasked with working on the Risch case full time.[15][16] On February 19, 1963, Droney announced that Risch had taken out multiple books on vanishing and starting a new life from the Lincoln library.[17] The case remains unsolved.
In 1963, Droney oversaw the 18-hour interrogation of Roy Smith, a black handyman arrested for the strangling of Bessie Goldberg. Smith maintained his innocence but was charged with murder, rape, and robbery. On November 23, 1963, Smith was found guilty of murder and robbery, but not of rape. Subsequent investigation by formerMetropolitan District Commission detective Stephen C. Delaney found thatBoston StranglerAlbert DeSalvo had been working 1.2 miles from the Goldberg home on the day of the murder. He also found two witnesses who admitted to making false statements during the trial because the prosecution threatened to end theirAid to Families with Dependent Children and have their children taken away. George Keefe, a member of the state parole board, stated that although Smith had failed a 1970 lie detector test, "there circumstantial evidence in this case was one of the weakest of any case I have encountered in 26 years in parole work". On August 18, 1973, theMassachusetts Governor's Council granted Smith, who was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, a commutation. He died two days later of a heart attack.[18]
In 1968, Droney reopened the investigation into the murder of Beverly Samans. Droney based his decision off information from George W. Harrison, an inmate who claimed to overhear another convict coaching Albert DeSalvo about details of the Boston Strangler murders.[19][20] Although DeSalvo confessed to the 13 Boston Strangler murders, Droney believed that someone else was responsible for Samans' murder due to discrepancies in DeSalvo's statement.[21]
In 1977, Droney's office secured the convictions of Robert E. Smith and Robert S. Wilson for the New Year's Eve 1975 murders of Dr. Hugh Mahoney, his wife Ruth, and their 14-year-old son John during an attempted robbery.[22]
During the1978 United States Senate election, Droney declined to prosecute his former political opponent SenatorEdward Brooke for perjury stemming from admitted misstatements during his divorce proceedings, citing a lack of jurisdiction as the proceedings had taken place in Boston.[23]
On January 6, 1982, Droney's office coordinated a 200-trooper raid of theMassachusetts Correctional Institution – Framingham in order to break up an alleged drug trafficking and gambling operation in the prison.[24] The DA's office alleged that Con'Puter Systems Programming, a data processing business run by a group of prisoners was operating as a front for drug trafficking and gambling.[25] On February 19, 1982Susan Edith Saxe and four inmates were indicted for income tax violations related to the alleged criminal enterprise.[26] On January 29, 1983, the charges against Saxe and the others were dropped because the prosecution was unable to produce requested records.[27]
On November 14, 1963, Droney announced that he would challenge incumbent GovernorEndicott Peabody in thefollowing year's gubernatorial election. He stated that he was "in complete disagreement with the policies and actions of Peabody on almost every major issue", including the governor's opposition to the death penalty and a proposed increase on the state gasoline tax. He also accused the Governor of doing "everything possible to demoralize the law enforcement of the Commonwealth".[28] Droney received 4% of the vote in a four-candidate Democratic primary that was won byFrancis X. Bellotti.[29]
On June 6, 1972, Droney announced that he was entering that year'sUnited States Senate election. He ran on alaw and order platform, attacking incumbent senatorEdward Brooke for opposingRichard Nixon's conservative nominees to theUnited States Supreme Court.[30] Droney was the candidate of the party regulars and had the support of state attorney generalRobert H. Quinn, Boston MayorKevin White and legislative leadership. He won the Democratic state convention's endorsement after nine hours and six ballots. Norfolk County district attorney George Burke dropped out of the race and backed Droney, butBoston City CouncilorGerald O'Leary and Hampden County Register of Deeds John Pierce Lynch chose to stay in the race and face Droney in the Democratic primary.[31] Droney won the primary with 45% of the vote to O'Leary's 36% and Lynch's 19%.[32] Droney lost the general election to Brooke 63% to 35%.[33]
In August 1981,The Boston Globe reported that Droney was retiring and would not run for reelection in 1982.[34] Soon thereafter, Droney issued a statement saying that he would run in 1982 if his health permitted.[35] On March 3, 1982, Droney announced that he would run for reelection.[36] He faced three 3 challengers – 1978 opponent Scott Harshbarger, Middlesex County register of probate Paul J. Cavanaugh, and former assistant DA Edward Gargiulo – for the Democratic nomination.[37] Harshbarger won the primary with 48% of the vote. Droney finished in last place with 17%.[38]
Droney spent his later years inMedford, Massachusetts. He died on November 3, 1989, after a 16-year battle with ALS. He was 78 years old. He was survived by his wife and daughter.[39]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | District Attorney ofMiddlesex County 1959–1983 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromMassachusetts (Class 2) 1972 | Succeeded by |