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 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 of African-American Milwaukee resident Ernest Lacy, ultimately charging several police officers; in response, the police union launched an abortive attempt to recall 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, where he became a Boden Teaching Fellow and adjunct professor of law. 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 1936 births Living people Lawyers from Chicago Wisconsin lawyers Marquette University faculty University of Detroit Mercy alumni Georgetown University Law Center alumni Harvard Law School alumni Milwaukee County District Attorneys People from Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Date of birth missing (living people) Catholics from Wisconsin Marquette University High School alumni