The court and trial counsel
Judge Sullivan and the lawyers trying the case, from the public professional record.
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Hon. William F. Sullivan
Presiding justice
Education
- University of Notre Dame, undergraduate
- Boston College Law School, J.D.
Career
- Assistant district attorney, Norfolk County, 1982 to 1984.
- Partner at Sullivan and Sweeney LLP in Quincy, a criminal defense practice.
- Special assistant city solicitor for Quincy, 2006 to 2008.
- Associate justice, Massachusetts Superior Court, since 2014.
In This Case
- Admitted Dr. Condie over the Commonwealth's objection on August 18, 2026, while barring him from opinion on standard of care.
- Excluded Emily Thorndike's testimony on August 19, 2026, her employment at McLean not overlapping the defendant's treatment.
- Denied the motion for a required finding of not guilty on August 17, 2026.
- Declined to release the 911 recording publicly.
- Held individual sidebar conferences with each juror on August 20, 2026.
Kevin J. Reddington
Defense counsel
Education
- Boston College, B.A. cum laude, 1972
- Suffolk University Law School, J.D. cum laude, 1975
Career
- Partner at Kelly & Reddington from 1975 to 1991.
- Sole practitioner in Brockton since 1991.
- Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
- Reported to have appeared in more than a hundred murder cases across five decades of practice.
Prior Cases
- Secured an acquittal for Therese Rogers in 1989, reported as among the earliest successful battered woman syndrome defenses in the state.
- Represented Michael McDermott, convicted in the 2000 killing of seven coworkers.
- Represented Catherine Greig, an associate of James Bulger.
In This Case
- Opened for the defense on July 27, 2026, arguing psychosis at the time of the killings and a suicide attempt that left the defendant partially paralysed.
- Cross-examined Patrick Clancy for roughly two hours on July 29, 2026.
- Produced the unsearched nightstand drawer during cross of Capt. Santos on August 3, 2026.
- Established through Whiffin on August 17, 2026 that absent device data does not establish absent activity.
- Alleged the prosecution made remarks on a hot microphone, drawing warnings from the bench on August 7, 2026.
ADA Jennifer Sprague
Assistant district attorney
Education
- Bridgewater State University, B.A. political science, 1999
- New England Law Boston, J.D., 2003
Career
- Plymouth County District Attorney's Office since December 2003.
- Reported to have tried 28 homicide cases.
- More than forty Superior Court trials involving sexual assault, firearms, narcotics and domestic violence, and hundreds of District Court matters.
In This Case
- Conducted direct examination of Dr. Tufts on August 10, 2026 and of Ian Whiffin on August 17, 2026.
- Cross-examined the defense family witnesses on August 17, 2026 and the chaplain on August 20, 2026.
- Told the court on August 17, 2026 that the Commonwealth intends to call rebuttal experts.
ADA Shanan Buckingham
Assistant district attorney; chief, Family Protection Unit
Education
- Stonehill College, B.A. political science
- Northeastern University School of Law, J.D.
Career
- Plymouth County District Attorney's Office since 2011.
- Chief of the office's Family Protection Unit.
In This Case
- Opened for the Commonwealth on July 27, 2026, arguing the killings were deliberate and meticulous and that the defendant was not in the throes of psychosis.
- Conducted direct examination of the crime-lab witnesses on August 4, 2026 and of Det. Melo on August 3, 2026.
- Referred on August 20, 2026 to a pending civil suit against the prescribers.