WORCESTER (MA)
Telegram & Gazette
By Milton J. Valencia TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
WORCESTER— District Attorney John J. Conte announced yesterday the end of his 30-year run as the county’s top prosecutor, sending ripples through a legal community that assumed he would seek another term.
Mr. Conte gave a quick speech to his staff at 3 p.m. yesterday, before exiting out a back door. Many called it an emotional speech punctuated by applause.
The announcement brings closure for a 75-year-old man who spent more than half of his life in public service. He served 14 years in the state Senate, before then-Gov. Michael S. Dukakis appointed him district attorney in 1976. He won the following election and has dominated challengers since. ...
Mr. Conte also has been criticized for his handling of the Catholic Diocese of Worcester sexual abuse crisis, particularly when he donated money to the diocesan Bishop’s Fund while he was investigating the diocese’s priests for abuse.