Norfolk County DA Offers Businesses a Better Bad Check Solution

District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey launched a new way for Norfolk County businesses to deal with bad checks this week.

“The existing ways of dealing with bounced checks has left a lot of merchants, tradesmen and small businesses frustrated and still out their money,” District Attorney Morrissey said.  “This kind of crime is an indirect theft from the honest customers who have to pay higher prices to cover the loss. We wanted to find a good way to deal with bad checks.”

District Attorney Morrissey developed the program with five key components:

• Bad check reports are easy to file and follow-up action is prompt.
• Upon recovery, 100 percent of the face value of the check is returned to the victim.
• There is no minimum dollar restriction.
• Bad check offenders must complete an educational class at their own expense.
• The program operates at no cost to the county or the taxpayers.

Morrissey invited businesses wanting more information, or to access the program, to visit www.norfolkda.com and follow the link at the center of the page.

“The objective is to make merchants whole and to give offenders some education on the consequences of passing bad checks. Many falsely believe they are committing a victimless crime,” Morrissey said. “The benefit to the offender is that, if they cooperate, in many instances they can avoid criminal prosecution.”

Morrissey announced the launch of his Bad Check Restitution Program last week as part of the Retail Crime Prevention Seminar he brought to Dedham’s Legacy Place merchants meeting.  Morrissey has previously held retail crime prevention and prosecution seminars at the South Shore Plaza, Patriot Place and the Wrentham Premium Outlets.

–Norfolk County District Attorney's Office