William L. Murphy
William L. Murphy | |
|---|---|
| District Attorney of Richmond County | |
| In office March 1983 – December 31, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas R. Sullivan |
| Succeeded by | Daniel M. Donovan, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Leo Murphy June 25, 1944 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | June 4, 2010 (aged 65) Staten Island, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Kathleen Brushett |
| Alma mater | Fordham University (B.A.) Harvard University (J.D.) |
William Leo Murphy (June 25, 1944 – June 4, 2010) was the Staten Island (Richmond County) District Attorney from 1983 to 2003.
Early life and education
Murphy was born in Chicago. His parents were originally from Staten Island and returned there before his first birthday. His father served as a grand juror in Richmond County for 25 years.[1] His grandfather was a police officer.[2]
He received his undergraduate education from Fordham University and his law degree from Harvard Law School.
Career
He was a public prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's office from 1969 to 1975. From 1975 to 1982, he was the chief assistant district attorney in Staten Island until Governor Cuomo appointed him acting district attorney of Staten Island in November 1982. He was appointed district attorney (D.A.) in March 1983 and continued in the position for 20 years, through five elections.[2] As D.A., he was well-liked in Staten Island. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called him "legendary public servant" upon his death.[3]
He advocated for strict environmental regulations and legislation after prosecuting John Cassiliano, a sanitation supervisor at the Brookfield landfill who took bribes in exchange for allowing illegal dumping of toxic waste, in 1982.[1] In 1988, he prosecuted Andre Rand, who was convicted of kidnapping and murdering a 12-year-old girl with Down's Syndrome. In 2003, he prosecuted Ronnell Wilson, who was convicted and served the death penalty for murdering two undercover detectives. Murphy retired shortly afterward.[1]
Murphy was elected president of the National Association of District Attorneys in 1998.
References
- ^ a b c Kroessler, Jeffrey (2014). "Oral history interview with William L. Murphy". Justice in New York: An Oral History. N.Y,: John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ a b Fahim, Kareem (14 June 2010). "William L. Murphy, 65, Ex-Prosecutor; Served in Staten Island for Two Decades". New York Times. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
- ^ Wroblewski, Tom (5 June 2010). "William Murphy, Staten Island's longest-serving district attorney, dead at 65". S.I. Live. Retrieved 4 May 2014.