Preceded by Andrew A. Caffrey Name Edward Harrington Preceded by James N. Gabriel Role Judge | Nationality American Succeeded by William Weld Occupation Attorney
Judge | |
Full Name Edward Francis Harrington Alma mater College of the Holy Cross
Boston College Law School Residence Needham, Massachusetts, United States Education Boston College (1960), Boston College Law School, College of the Holy Cross Political party Democratic Party, Republican Party | ||
Edward Francis Harrington (born September 16, 1933) is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Contents
Early life
Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, Harrington graduated in cursu honoris cum laude with an Artium Baccalaureus from College of the Holy Cross in 1955 and a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School in 1960. He was in the United States Navy from 1955 to 1957 as a Lieutenant Junior Grade. He was in the United States Navy Reserve from 1957 to 1972. He was a law clerk for Chief Judge Paul C. Reardon of the Massachusetts Superior Court from 1960 to 1961.
Attorney
He was a trial attorney in the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. from 1961-65. Harrington was one of the fifteen members of Robert F. Kennedy's so-called "Hoffa Squad", which investigated illegalities in James Hoffa's Teamsters Union. He was an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 1965 to 1969 where he was instrumental in developing one of the first accomplice witnesses, Joseph Baron, against organized crime in New England.
Baron was one of the first members of organized crime to turn evidence against the organized criminal syndicate. He was briefly in private practice in Taunton, Massachusetts in 1969. He then became an Attorney-in-charge for the United States Department of Justice's 'Strike Force' Against Organized Crime for New England from 1970 to 1973. He was in private practice in Boston, Massachusetts from 1973 to 1977. In 1974 he was a candidate for Massachusetts Attorney General, finishing third in the Democratic Primary. He was the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 1977 to 1981.
He was in private practice in Framingham, Massachusetts from 1981 to 1988. Harrington ran for Massachusetts Attorney General again in 1986, this time as a Republican. He lost in the general election to Democrat James Shannon, 55% to 45%.
Federal judicial service
On September 18, 1987, Harrington was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts vacated by Judge Andrew Augustine Caffrey. Harrington was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 19, 1988, and received his commission on February 22, 1988. He assumed senior status on March 1, 2001. He continues to serve as a senior judge in Boston where he concentrates in mediating legal disputes.
Testimony
In 2002, Harrington testified for the defense in the federal trial of John J. Connolly, a disgraced former FBI agent, who was convicted of RICO violations. Harrington had worked with Connolly during his time in the Strike Force and as United States Attorney.
Harrington testified for the defense in the state trial of John J. Connolly, who was convicted of second degree murder in 2008 for assisting James "Whitey" Bulger. In both cases, Harrington's testimony related to Connolly's contribution to the decimation of the New England Mafia.