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Edward Michael McCann (born 1936) is an American attorney and politician who served as district attorney of
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Milwaukee County () is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely ...
from 1969 to 2007. A Democrat, McCann gained recognition for the length of his tenure and his successful record as a
trial attorney A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as wel ...
.


Early life and political career

McCann was born in
Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, attended Milwaukee's St. Francis de Sales Preparatory School and graduated from
Marquette University High School Marquette University High School (MUHS) is a private, all-male, Jesuit school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, an accreditation division of Co ...
before receiving his bachelor's degree from the
University of Detroit The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catho ...
. He attended the
Georgetown University Law Center Georgetown University Law Center is the Law school in the United States, law school of Georgetown University, a Private university, private research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law ...
and received a
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degree from
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
. Following his graduation, McCann served as a prosecutor in the
Milwaukee County District Attorney The Milwaukee County District Attorney is a state constitutional officer responsible for criminal prosecution in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. The current district attorney is Kent Lovern, who has served since 2025. History The first Milwaukee ...
's office, working under district attorneys William J. McCauley and
Hugh R. O'Connell Hugh R. O'Connell (July 22, 1919June 30, 1987) was an American attorney and judge from Wisconsin. He was a Wisconsin circuit courts, Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County from 1968 until his retirement in ...
and handling criminal appeals heard by the
Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the state judicial system of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. In addition to hearing appeals of lower Wisconsin court decisions, the Wisconsin Supreme Court also ...
. After an unsuccessful bid for a Milwaukee County Children's Court judgeship in 1968, McCann resigned from his position as a prosecutor to challenge District Attorney David J. Cannon, a Republican who had been appointed by Governor Warren Knowles to fill a vacancy in the office. McCann defeated Milwaukee attorney Gerald P. Boyle for the Democratic nomination and unseated Cannon in the fall general election. McCann was reelected in 1970, defeating Republican Thomas Doherty, formerly Cannon's deputy district attorney. In 1976, while serving as district attorney, McCann ran for
Milwaukee County Executive The Milwaukee County executive serves as the chief executive officer of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Vested with veto power and appointing authority over department heads, the county executive oversees the administrative functions of county gov ...
but was defeated by Bill O'Donnell, chairman of the
Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors is the legislative branch of the government of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. Supervisors are elected to the board in nonpartisan elections. There are 18 supervisors. The county board has seve ...
. In 1984, McCann ran in a
special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
for
Wisconsin's 4th congressional district Wisconsin's 4th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in Wisconsin, encompassing a part of Milwaukee County and including almost all of the city of Milwaukee (except the slivers of the c ...
but was defeated in the Democratic primary by state Senator Jerry Kleczka.


Tenure as district attorney

McCann prosecuted numerous high-profile cases during his tenure as district attorney, with a high rate of success. In 1991, he obtained the conviction of
Jeffrey Dahmer Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer (; May 21, 1960 – November 28, 1994), also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, was an American serial killer and sex offender who killed and dismemberment, dismembered seventeen men and boys b ...
, a cannibalistic serial killer and rapist (McCann's former primary opponent, Gerald P. Boyle, was Dahmer's defense attorney). In 1990, McCann prosecuted construction contractor S.A. Healy for reckless homicide in connection with workplace deaths in 1988. McCann also conducted a reckless homicide prosecution against Chem-Bio Corporation, a medical laboratory which had failed to detect cervical cancer in patients who later died of the disease. As a special prosecutor, McCann investigated but did not prosecute Winnebago County
Coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
Michael Stelter, who was accused of negligence in conducting autopsies and reviewing deaths. A devout
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, McCann was criticized in 2010 for perceived inaction on
Catholic Church sexual abuse cases There have been many cases of sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests, priests, nuns, and Sexual abuse scandals in Catholic orders and societies, other members of religious life in the Catholic Church. In the late 20th and early 21st c ...
reported to his office in the 1970s, including the case of highly prolific abuser Lawrence C. Murphy. McCann contested these allegations, asserting that he had properly prosecuted clergy members accused of abuse. McCann's relationship with both the
Milwaukee Police Department The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) is the police department organized under the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The department has a contingent of about 1,800 sworn officers when at full strength and is divided into seven districts. Jeffrey B. ...
and its officers' union, the Milwaukee Police Association, was fraught throughout his tenure. In 1976, the ''Milwaukee Sentinel'' reported that many Milwaukee police officers viewed McCann as "not tough enough on criminals and too tough on cops". In 1981, McCann conducted an inquest into the
death in custody A death in custody is a death of a person in the custody of the police or other authorities or while in prison. In the 21st century, death in custody remains a controversial subject, with the authorities often being accused of abuse, neglect and ...
of African-American Milwaukee resident Ernest Lacy, ultimately charging several police officers; in response, the police union launched an abortive attempt to
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McCann. McCann harshly criticized police department practices associated with the Lacy case, stating that the predominantly white makeup of the department's tactical squad was "breeding distrust among the minority population" in Milwaukee. In 2006, McCann prosecuted three white Milwaukee officers for the beating of Frank Jude, an African-American man accused of stealing a police badge at an off-duty officer's housewarming party. The officers were acquitted; although each was later convicted in federal court, McCann was again criticized by the union, which demanded his resignation. The trial marked the first occasion on which McCann lost a felony jury trial. After considering retirement in 2004, McCann decided not to seek reelection in 2006, instead supporting the successful candidacy of assistant district attorney John T. Chisholm. Following his departure from office in January 2007, McCann joined
Marquette University Law School Marquette University Law School is the Law school in the United States, law school of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is one of two law schools in Wisconsin and the only private law school in the state. Founded in 1892 as the Mil ...
, where he became a Boden Teaching Fellow and
adjunct professor An adjunct professor is a type of academic appointment in higher education who does not work at the establishment full-time. The terms of this appointment and the job security of the tenure vary in different parts of the world, but the term is gen ...
of law.McCann profile #2
marquette.edu (2005); accessed November 27, 2014. Since 2007, McCann has served as an active member of the state governing board of Common Cause in Wisconsin, the state's largest non-partisan political reform advocacy organization.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCann, E. Michael 1936 births Living people Lawyers from Chicago Lawyers from Milwaukee Marquette University faculty University of Detroit Mercy alumni Georgetown University Law Center alumni Harvard Law School alumni Milwaukee County district attorneys Wisconsin Democrats Date of birth missing (living people) Catholics from Wisconsin Marquette University High School alumni