August 16, 2006
Like
father like son
Father was congressman, Early Jr. runs for DA
By Daniel Axelrod, News Staff Writer, The Gardner News
GARDNER — Worcester Democrat Joe Early Jr. doesn’t want or need a miracle to be
elected district attorney of the Middle District.
More than anything, Early Jr. just wants to put his Georgetown University law degree and years of experience as a state prosecutor and private practice attorney to good use as the area’s district attorney.
Early Jr. is squaring
off against fellow Worcester Democrat Daniel Shea.
The winner of the Sept. 19 Democratic primary will essentially be anointed the
next district attorney for the Middle District because no Republican candidate
is running.
The candidates are vying to replace current District Attorney John Conte, whose position will become vacant when he soon retires after roughly three decades on the job.
But even after an earlier loss for elected office, Early Jr. thinks his previous government experience isn’t the only reason he doesn’t need divine intervention to become district attorney.
Early Jr. originally ran for a state Senate seat during the September 2000 Democratic primary. The day of the election, one of his seven brothers and sisters called him to say their father, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Early Sr., had died.
Joe Early Sr. had been holding campaign signs for his son earlier in the day when he didn’t feel well. He went home and had a stroke.
Soon hundreds of campaign supporters packed the Worcester Elks Club to listen to Early Jr.’s concession speech, but they had to wait. Early Jr. had to rush to the hospital.
When he got there, he found out that his father was still alive but gravely ill. No sooner did Father James Shea administer the elder Early’s last rites then a miracle occurred.
“The doctors wanted to inject a dye to see if there were blood clots in his brain, but they couldn’t do so because his kidneys were failing,” Early Jr. recalled. “And suddenly his kidneys started working again, and the surgeons said before they could get into his brain, the clots had all dissolved by themselves. He stayed in intensive care a few days and recovered.”
“It could have been the worst day of my life, but it wasn’t so bad. I lost an election, but my father lived,” Early Jr. added.
The 48-year-old husband and father of four young children said watching his father’s efforts as a Massachusetts congressman from 1972 to 1992 taught him the keys to success.
“My father was a very
low-key person, and he never looked for the credit because he got things passed
by letting others get the credit, ” Early Jr. said. “He once said he got about
1,800 pieces of legislation passed, and he only put his name on one. He never
let his ego get in the way.”
Early Jr. decided he
wanted to become a lawyer after a college internship working for a police
union’s lawyer. He interned while earning a bachelor’s degree in political
science at UMass at Amherst during the early ’80s.
“I saw what the lawyers
can do, and I thought it was great how they can get involved in people’s lives
and make such a difference,” Early Jr. said. “I love my ability to help people.”
Early Jr. received a
law degree at Georgetown University by 1984. Afterward, he hopped straight into
a job as an assistant district attorney in Hamden County, which he held until
1988.
Then Early Jr. racked
up experience working as an assistant attorney general for the commonwealth from
1988 to 1990. He’s spent the last 16 years in private practice specializing in
criminal, mental health and eminent domain law, as well as personal injury
cases.
“I’ve had good results,
and I’m the only one in this race with any kind of prosecutorial experience,”
Early Jr. said. “I’m honored by the jobs I’ve had and proud of the results.”
Early Jr. has a number
of goals for the Middle District’s district attorney post.
One of his top priorities is implementing an alternative prosecution program for
juveniles. Instead of immediately locking up children who commit nonviolent
offenses, Early Jr. wants to enroll the juveniles in community service and
diversion programs to keep them off the street.
“If kids aren’t busy
after school and they’re on probation, they’re getting into trouble,” Early Jr.
said.
Early Jr. wants to personally meet with parole officers, educators and juveniles
and host round table discussions about how to keep children off the streets.
“We need to tailor the system to the needs of specific kids, and find out and address the problems behind why each kid isn’t going to school,” Early Jr. said.
“We’re not going to be
looking for plea bargains for sexual predators, drug dealers and violent
criminals,” Early Jr. said.
The candidate said his
other priorities include having assistant district attorneys more regularly give
local law enforcement officers courses on the latest laws and search and seizure
procedures.
Plus, Early Jr. wants
to doggedly pursue unsolved murders.
He said he’d aggressively issue summons notices for people involved in crime
investigations to come before grand juries to quickly get information about
unsolved murders.
Early Jr. also wants to
lobby hard for a new local crime lab.
Some court cases are being delayed and even thrown out of court because it
currently takes law enforcement officials too long to get evidence tested, Early
Jr. said.
Now that Early Jr.’s
learned how to be a leader from his father, he’s ready to be the district
attorney for the 750,000 people in the Middle District’s 59 cities and towns.
“I really think this is the most important job in the county,” Early Jr. said.
daxelrod@thegardnernews.com
Daniel E. Axelrod
Government Reporter
The Gardner News
Gardner, MA
978-632-8000 ext. 40
www.thegardnernews.com
Early
plans for run come to fruition
Primary combatants set their sights on DA post
By Milton J. Valencia TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
WORCESTER— The way Joe Early Jr. puts it, it all began in December 2004, during
a fundraiser at the Viva Bene restaurant in downtown Worcester.
He had been raising money for some time already, telling everyone he’d run for
public office again, after an unsuccessful quest for one of Worcester’s state
Senate seats in 2000. Most people knew of Mr. Early’s thoughts of running for
district attorney, but there had been no announcement.
But that night, it just felt right, he said. And he stepped up on a table.
“With that, let’s just make it clear. This is what I’m running for … I wanted
everyone to know I’m running for district attorney.”
It was unofficial for some time, because no one wanted to antagonize the
incumbent, as Mr. Early put it. But people knew his intentions at the same time.
He had plans of becoming district attorney, regardless of whom he’d be running
against.
“I’m not running against anyone, I’m running for the office,” he said.
Now, with District Attorney John J. Conte’s announcement earlier this year that
he would not seek re-election, Mr. Early has become the front-runner in the
race, seeing court officers and lawyers, probation officials and police officers
announce their endorsements of his run for the county’s top law enforcement
post. He will be matched up against Daniel J. Shea in the Sept. 19 Democratic
primary election.
Mr. Early attributes the support to his goals, and his experience as a lawyer,
in private practice and as a state and county prosecutor.
“I know what it’s like to defend and I know what it’s like to put people in
jail,” he said.
It’s his message that has resonated with supporters, he says: that he’ll jail
criminals, yet at the same time work to rescue youngsters who are at risk, so
that he never has to see them in a courtroom.
Mr. Early, 48, has made the Juvenile Court division the priority in his
campaign, rattling off statistics which, he says, show that 15 percent of
youngsters straddle a line between a criminal world and a positive life; he
hopes to reach out to that percentage.
“If you can get a child ages 8 to 12 … you can make a difference,” he said.
“I’m not trying to be an idealist, but that’s where you can make an attack. It’s
not going to be the sexiest part of the job. It’s going to be like raising
teenagers, but it’s a part of the job where you can bear fruit.”
When asked, he named three strategies to accomplish that goal:
•To work with probation so that the penalty fits the crime. If the person
deserves to go to jail, he should, but if there’s a chance in helping the
person, the court should consider it.
• To establish a gang unit in the district attorney’s office, and consider gang
affiliations when setting probation.
• To have more of a presence in area schools, where kids get to know police
officers, prosecutors and the juvenile court process.
He’d also work more with local police departments, by having an on-call
prosecutor to handle legal questions. He’ll send prosecutors to more training
sessions. He proposes more truancy programs for students, and would piggyback
the Worcester police anti-gang programs and anti-violence initiatives. “Why not
expand that?” he asked.
He would sit down with probation officials and police, juvenile court judges and
jail officials.
“I can get to the point, in a couple of minutes, of what I want to do,” Mr.
Early said. “I’m very comfortable talking about what I want to do.”
His plans have been in the making since 2000, after losing his first quest for
public office to state Sen. Harriette L. Chandler, D-Worcester.
He’s always considered a life in public service, and considers the loss a
learning experience. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise, because he sees his
experience as a lawyer a better fit for his plans to be district attorney.
“Everything I’ve done fits right in line with this job,” he said. “This is where
you can make this a better community.”
He doesn’t like to consider himself a politician, but abides by the lessons he
learned from his father, former U.S. Rep. Joseph D. Early. Random people have
told him of the help his father provided, from services for veterans to
advocating for the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
And if he’s learned anything, he said, it’s that his word is his bond.
“Character is everything, a name is everything. I like to think my word is
good.”
IRS
states tax lien on Early premature and not needed
$54,000 payment plan worked out
By Shaun Sutner TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
WORCESTER— The Internal Revenue Service in 2004 notified would-be district
attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. of its intent to file liens on his property to
satisfy back tax bills from 2000, 2001 and 2002, reportedly totaling about
$54,000.
The 48-year-old lawyer, a Democrat and son of former U.S. Rep. Joseph D. Early,
in October 2004 agreed to give up his right to appeal the IRS collection
process, and the agency, which had proceeded to file two tax liens, acknowledged
that the liens were “premature at the time they were filed” and would be
withdrawn.
“No further collection action is to be taken as these accounts have been paid in
full,” the IRS wrote in a Summary Notice of Determination signed by Mr. Early, a
copy of which he provided to the Telegram & Gazette.
In exchange for Mr. Early waiving his right to appeal, the IRS agreed not to
levy liens to collect the taxes at issue. Mr. Early said he came up with the
money in that period and paid the bills.
“This action better balances the need for the efficient collection of tax with
the concerns that collection action be no more intrusive than necessary,” the
IRS wrote.
Mr. Early, who is seeking to become Worcester district attorney, declined to
release his personal tax return, as state Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly, a
Democratic candidate for governor, has done. The other announced gubernatorial
candidates, Democrat Deval L. Patrick and Republican Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, have
chosen not to release their taxes.
“I have a very successful business,” Mr. Early said. “You give up a lot of
privacy when you run. I’m not willing to give up more.”
Mr. Early is unopposed for the $108,000-a-year district attorney job, a post
that involves managing a $7 million-plus budget and more than 60 employees.
He said he realizes that by serving as district attorney he would be giving up
the ability to earn more in the private sector.
“You realize that when you run for public office you make a substantial
sacrifice,” he said. “That is what I am willing to do, that is what I am able to
do.”
Describing his dealings with the IRS two years ago, Mr. Early maintained he was
never delinquent on his taxes.
“I had a balance,” he said. “You work out a payment plan, or whatever. They
acknowledged they made a mistake.”
Mr. Early’s accountant, in a letter to him on Oct. 24, 2004, said a
“miscommunication” with the IRS caused the liens to be filed on April 24 and May
7, 2004. The accountant said his firm had transmitted the necessary paperwork to
the IRS but was given an incorrect number when it faxed the information on April
9, 2004. Because the agency did not receive the necessary form on time, it
started the lien proceeding, the accountant, Edward J. Callahan, said.
Mr. Early announced last year that he would challenge longtime district attorney
John J. Conte in a Democratic primary. In a surprise move in January, Mr. Conte
said he would not run again. So far, no other candidates have said they will
challenge Mr. Early, who had $85,419 in his campaign account at the end of
February.
Contact Shaun Sutner by e-mail at
ssutner@telegram.com
Worcester DA Candidate Early represents Worcester priest who is on leave for sexual misconduct with minors.
Will protection be extended to those who sexually abuse children?
Joseph Early Jr. will appear this morning in Dudley District Court to defend Father Joseph A. Coonan on charges that he brutalized his 77-year-old mother and attacked his sister when she sought help of police.
Mr. Early also represented Father Coonan when he was removed from St. John's parish in Worcester after numerous allegations were made that he was sexually inappropriate with boys in Oxford some years ago.
Father Coonan still has supporters in the parish who are conducting a fundraising event for Father Coonan, who thus far has refused to resign as pastor of the parish although he has been banned from the premises since 2002. Some in the parish, who will not be buying the raffle tickets, are questioning why Father Coonan's name still appears in the church bulletin every week.
This money raising is in addition to the monthly pay check and medical coverage he is eligible to receive from the Worcester diocese, which under Canon Law is required to support him as long as he is a priest. Father Coonan is among those priests on leave that are costing the Catholics of Central Massachusetts more than $300,000 a year.
According to Diane Williamson column today:
Yesterday, lawyer Joseph D. Early Jr. said his client denies assaulting his family but doesn’t deny that he was drinking. Mr. Early, who is running unopposed for Worcester County district attorney, said Father Coonan’s mother and sister are seeking to have the charges dismissed
This is not the first time that Attorney Early has defended Father Coonan who was accused of abusing at least 12 boys while in the Oxford area. Most of the victims were asked to urinate or masturbate while Coonan watched. Many have asked how Father Coonan was ordained in the first place.
Are we once again seeing that in Worcester County that it is matter of who you are rather than your actions? DA Conte has been in office for 29 years yet all these sexual abuses that occurred in the Oxford area were not prosecuted. DA Conte has allowed Father Coonan as well as all other Worcester diocesan priests who are known to have committed sexual abuse amount young adults and children to avoid prosecution.
Already we are seeing an attempt to control of the courts by Mr. Early, who no doubt has his client communicate with the mother and the sister in order to have the charges dropped. Yet as in domestic violence cases the inability to testify should not preclude the prosecution.
Victims lawyer Daniel Shea, interviewed yesterday, reminds us that any defendant is entitled to the lawyer of his or her choice and that there is certainly nothing unethical about Attorney Early representing Rev. Coonan. Nevertheless, "I am reminded of a piece of advice my father gave me in 1989 when I was deciding whether to practice corporate law in Washington DC or to represent injured plaintiffs. I shall never forget what he told me, 'Always stay on the side of the angels, the little guy; you will be known by the company you keep.'" Mr. Shea's father was born in Worcester in 1909 and his grandfather in Worcester in 1887. All three are named Daniel. Daniel III likes to joke, "I'm the black sheep. I was born in Providence."
Early wants
his stickers bumped from taxicabs
By Shaun Sutner TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
WORCESTER— Joseph
D. Early Jr., an unopposed candidate for district attorney, said he
has asked that his campaign bumper stickers be removed from Red Cab
taxicabs.
Mr. Early, who in his law practice represents Red Cab and its owner,
Antoinette L. Donovan, said he did not know that some taxicabs
operating under the Red Cab name had his campaign stickers attached
to their rear bumpers.
“I don’t know who put them on. I’ve never asked anyone to do it,”
said Mr. Early, a Democrat who announced last year that he would
challenge longtime District Attorney John J. Conte in next fall’s
election before Mr. Conte said in January he would not run again.
“We’ll take care of it. I certainly don’t want to do anything
inappropriate.”
It is unclear whether political advertising is allowed on taxicabs,
which are governed by detailed city regulations that prohibit any
advertising matter on cabs or liveries without the permission of the
police chief.
The rule, however, has not been enforced over the years, and
candidates for various offices have routinely used cabs as a free
and highly visible form of advertising.
Police officials, at the request of the City Council, have drafted
new regulations that specifically bar bumper stickers without the
chief’s approval.
The regulations became a hot issue last summer when city councilors
proposed that the rules be overhauled by, among other things,
requiring rates posted inside cabs, unannounced inspections to
ensure taxis are clean, reduced age of cabs on the road and creation
of a formal customer complaint process.
At the time, City Councilor Joseph M. Petty, chairman of the
council’s Public Service and Transportation Committee, asked police
to include a provision enforcing the rule against advertising,
including bumper stickers.
Police officials then included the ban on stickers after researching
how other cities handle the issue and finding that Springfield,
Lowell, and Lawrence bar political stickers from cabs.
Yesterday, though, Mr. Petty, who noted that he has had his own
campaign stickers on cabs, said he is not sure if political bumper
stickers can be banned, because of the constitutional right to free
speech.
The regulations are expected to be reviewed at a public hearing in
the next few weeks, he said.
Mr. Petty said his main concern is that taxis present a neat
appearance to the public.
“That’s one of the issues. I don’t want 12 bumper stickers on a
cab,” he said.
One critic of political bumper stickers on taxis is Juan A. Gomez, a
former city councilor. He has battled the taxi industry as an
advocate for livery cabs, which he has contended serve minority
communities better than regular cabs.
“Joe Early should know better. He’s a man of integrity.” Mr. Gomez
said. “It’s against the ordinance. And he doesn’t need them,
anyway.”
A Red Cab employee said Ms. Donovan could not be reached for comment
because she was on vacation and out of the state.
However, Mr. Early said he had talked with Ms. Donovan yesterday
after being informed by a Telegram & Gazette reporter that his
campaign stickers were on Red Cab taxis, and she told him she would
have them removed.
The reporter saw four Red Cabs with Early stickers on them
yesterday. Several Yellow Cab taxis did not have Early stickers.
Red Cab and Yellow Cab are competing companies that provide services
such as dispatching and insurance to drivers, many of whom own their
own taxis and the medallions that allow them to operate the cab as
an independent business.
Seven months before the general election, Mr. Early remains the only
candidate in the race for district attorney.
When Mr. Conte announced he was retiring, several prominent
Democrats considered jumping into the race before deciding against
it, leaving Mr. Early unopposed.
So far, no Republican candidate has surfaced.
Contact Shaun Sutner by e-mail at
ssutner@telegram.com
WORCESTER—
Nothing in politics is certain, but Democrat Joseph D. Early Jr. is
close to a sure bet to succeed longtime District Attorney John J.
Conte in next fall’s election, according to political observers.
When the dust had settled in January after Mr. Conte’s surprise
decision not to run for re-election, Mr. Early was the last
candidate standing after a series of prominent Democrats opted
against facing Mr. Early — who has been campaigning for the job
since December 2004 — in September’s primary.
With no Republican in the race and with only two months left before
the May 2 deadline for filing nomination papers, the local lawyer
and son of former U.S. Rep. Joseph D. Early is for all intents and
purposes unopposed for the job of Central Massachusetts’ top law
enforcement official.
“He had the guts to be out there first,” said Brian J. Buckley, a
Worcester lawyer who challenged Mr. Conte in 1996 and is now running
for Governor’s Council. “There’s a certain amount of respect that
goes along with being willing to take on an incumbent.”
For his part, Mr. Early, who has raised more than $140,000 and had
about $85,000 in his campaign fund as of last month, says he is
running as if he does have competition.
Of course he could still get some, though the prospect becomes more
unlikely each day as a challenger has less and less time to raise
the cash to mount a credible campaign. Write-in or “sticker”
candidates would also have a tough time getting the countywide name
recognition that Mr. Early is already well on his way toward
building.
“I’m running like I have an opponent,” Mr. Early said. “We’re
treating it as if we had one. We’re staying focused.”
Even without someone to run against, the Early effort has all the
trappings of a real political campaign.
Mr. Early has a Web site, campaign manager and headquarters, and he
is maintaining a steady schedule of fundraisers, meet-and-greets and
media appearances. Bumper stickers are about to go out.
While he says it is too soon to talk about what an Early district
attorney’s office would look like, Mr. Early says he is sticking to
the same strategy he followed when he and others thought Mr. Conte
was still in the picture.
“I was running for a job, not against the person,” said Mr. Early, a
former county and state prosecutor. “I thought I could make the
community better.”
Mr. Early said he would expand the district attorney’s outreach to
troubled youths to attempt to prevent them from turning to crime.
And he said he wants to spend time in the courtroom, possibly even
trying cases, which Mr. Conte has avoided over the 30 years he has
been in office. He also has said he will be more available to the
media, a task Mr. Conte largely shunned.
Indications abound that Mr. Early can count on having the field to
himself.
The political rumor mill is silent about potential challengers.
Meanwhile, Worcester lawyer Rick Peters, a Republican who took out
nomination papers to run for district attorney, recently opted to
shoot for state senator instead. Another potential candidate for
district attorney, former state police commander and legislator Reed
V. Hillman of Sturbridge, decided to run for lieutenant governor.
Now leaders of the region’s GOP, which has never been strong in
countywide contests, not only realize it is late in the game but
also have nice things to say about Mr. Early — a sign they are
giving up hope of finding someone to go against him.
“It is now spring, and it would be difficult for a candidate,
Republican or Democrat, to start a campaign,” said state Rep. Karyn
E. Polito, R-Shrewsbury, a lawyer. “I’ve known Joe Early for a long
time and he’s a very decent and hard-working man who knows the
community and will work for the people of Worcester County.”
Contact Shaun Sutner by e-mail at
ssutner@telegram.com.
January 26, 2006
Early gets jump in race for DA -
Leary, Naughton, Hillman in mix
Milton J.
Valencia, Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA)
WORCESTER - A new
race has begun following District Attorney John J. Conte's
surprising decision to retire after 30 years, leaving prospective
challengers with only eight months to raise money and gain support
for the countywide seat before the September primary election.
Joseph D. Early Jr. has become the
front-runner, however, with his announcement to run in 2004 giving
him a head start in raising funds and building a political base.
"It's really his
to lose," said Sheriff Guy W. Glodis, who has experience in mounting
a countywide race, having trounced longtime Sheriff John M. Flynn
more than a year ago.
Mr. Glodis has publicly endorsed Mr. Early, and probation officials
in Superior Court and Central District Court have shown their
support for him as the only candidate who challenged Mr. Conte
before the district attorney's decision was made. Mr. Glodis said
yesterday no other challenger could change his mind to support Mr.
Early.
Still, the opportunity to run for the county's top law enforcement
seat without challenging a strong incumbent is appealing to many
lawyers and politicians, and prospective challengers have ranged
from state representatives to the clerk of courts and magistrate of
Superior Court.
State Rep. James B. Leary, D-Worcester, has given the clearest
indication he may also run, saying yesterday it is "likely" he would
announce his candidacy but will take a few days to consider. Other
possibilities include state Rep. Harold P. Naughton, D-Clinton, and
former Republican state Rep. Reed V. Hillman of Sturbridge.
Mayor Timothy P. Murray, a Democrat, and state Rep. Karyn E. Polito,
R-Shrewsbury, were also considered possibilities, but both said
yesterday they will not run. Mr. Murray said his hopes are set on
the lieutenant governor's post, and Mrs. Polito said she would
commit her time to her district and her family.
Whoever decides to run will have a challenge in pacing Mr. Early,
the son of a former congressman. His campaign coffers totaled
$84,627 by the end of 2005, and he has 12 fundraisers already
planned for the next several months.
A rumored possibility is Francis A. Ford, clerk of courts and
magistrate in Superior Court, who recently announced he will not
seek re-election. Mr. Ford would only say, however, that he still
has a year left in his term. He would not say he will not run, but
he has less than $100 in his campaign account, according to year-end
reports for 2005 filed with the secretary of state's office.
Mr. Naughton has shown interest in the past, but is serving in Iraq
as a military lawyer with the U.S. Army Reserve.
Dan DiTullio, Mr. Naughton's aide, said the representative has been
told of Mr. Conte's announcement through e-mail. He has been
considered a possible challenger in the past, but left for Iraq for
a six-month term in September. There's no indication Mr. Naughton
will serve only the six months, his aide said.
"The biggest priority for us, for him, for his family, is for him to
get back," Mr. DiTullio said. Mr. Naughton has proved to be a strong
campaigner before, however, and had $34,678 in his campaign account
by the close of 2005.
Mr. Hillman, who served 25 years with the state police, a portion of
that time as colonel-superintendent, said he never considered
challenging Mr. Conte. But, he said he also enjoyed his five years
as state legislator, and that he still has the "political bug," and
would consider running for public office again.
Mr. Hillman said yesterday that any such plans are on hold, however,
because he has his hopes set on the U.S. marshal's post for the
district of Massachusetts.
In September, he was one of five people Gov. Mitt Romney nominated
for the job. Mr. Hillman has $68,427 remaining in his campaign
coffers, and has proven to be a powerful fundraiser.
Mr. Leary acknowledged yesterday that any plans to run would be
considered a late start. He has only $16,487 in campaign funds, and
mounting a countywide campaign will require a proper team.
"I have some ground to make up, but I think I can do it," he said,
citing his work as a former assistant district attorney, and for the
National District Attorneys Association, as credentials for the job.
He said any campaign will need, "nose to the grindstone. But, I'm
taking a very serious look at this."
Mr. Early said yesterday he'll continue campaigning regardless of
any challengers. He said he's announced a platform that targets
revitalizing the juvenile court division and said his message has
resonated with voters.
"I wasn't running against a person, I was running to be district
attorney," said Mr. Early, who has worked as an assistant district
attorney in Hampden County, and as a special assistant attorney for
the state attorney general's office.
"Now, it's a campaign about my experience," he said.
Besides fundraising, Mr. Early has built a political base. He has
the support of many local lawyers, as well as Mr. Glodis and
probation officials.
Mr. Glodis called Mr. Early a credible candidate who announced
regardless of Mr. Conte's decision, and noted that Mr. Early brings
a platform to reorganize juvenile court systems, which the sheriff
supports.
"Joe Early has made it clear this is what he wants to do," Mr.
Glodis said.
Thomas A. Turco III, acting chief probation officer of Superior
Court, added that Mr. Early has been aggressive in what he called
reaching out to the corrections family. He and Mr. Glodis praised
Mr. Conte for his years of service, but said Mr. Early would bring
what the sheriff called "a breath of fresh air."
"He sold me on his campaign," Mr. Turco said.
April 22, 2005
Early
challenge for Conte's post -
Race for DA job under way
Author: Shaun Sutner, Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA)
It's 17 months
before the election and Joseph D. Early Jr. is already running for
district attorney.
He hasn't officially announced yet, but the son of longtime former
U.S. Rep. Joseph D. Early, D-Worcester, has registered as a
candidate and is
raising money for a campaign to unseat District Attorney John J. Conte, a fellow Worcester Democrat who has held Central Massachusetts' top legal post since 1976.
November 20, 2004
Sheriff-elect
in talks with ex-Dismas chief
Shaun SUTNER, Worcester Telegram &
Gazette (MA)
Word on the
street is that Worcester lawyer Joseph D. Early Jr. already has a
fund-raising letter out two years ahead of the next election cycle.
Mr. Early is the early front-runner in the unseat-District Attorney
John J. Conte sweepstakes. Mr. Conte comes up for re-election in
2006.
The latest gossip also has a third Democrat seriously interested in
Mr. Conte's job: Worcester Mayor Timothy P. Murray.
One scenario has Mr. Conte winning a three-way primary, with Mr.
Early and Mr. Murray splitting the challenger vote.
In another version, Mr. Murray and his allies - U.S. Rep. James P.
McGovern, D-Worcester, and state Sen.-elect Edward M. Augustus - go
to Mr. Conte and ask him to retire or else they will support Mr.
Early.