A twice-convicted killer free during his second successful appeal had his bail revoked this morning for a beating and robbery attempt over the weekend, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.
JOSEPH DOWNEY (D.O.B. 4/18/65) of Quincy was arraigned today in South Boston District Court on charges of assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and attempted unarmed robbery for the July 23 incident inside a family member’s residence.

Assistant District Attorney Luke Goldworm recommended that Downey be held on $10,000 cash bail and that he be ordered to wear a GPS monitoring device, stay away from the victim and witnesses, and stay out of South Boston while the case is open. Goldworm also recommended that Downey’s open bail on his pending murder case be revoked. Judge Michael Bolden set bail at $5,000 cash, imposed all of the prosecutor’s recommended conditions, and revoked Downey’s open bail.

Boston Police responded to the F Street scene for a report of an assault and battery in progress. On arrival, they found the victim, a 30-year-old Quincy woman known to the defendant, extremely distressed and crying. That woman and another woman who lives at the scene told them that Downey had kicked and punched the victim, grabbed her by the throat, and knocked her to the ground.

“Give me some [expletive] money,” he allegedly said, using a string of additional vulgarities.
Downey was fleeing the building through a back door when officers arrived. They detained him and the victim positively identified him as her assailant.

Downey and his brother, DANIEL DOWNEY (D.O.B. 8/16/68), were convicted of second-degree murder at their trial for the 1997 stabbing death of 30-year-old James Murphy in a South Boston barroom, but were granted new trials in 2006 when the Massachusetts Appeals Court found that their attorneys had worn concealed microphones for a British television documentary, compromising their own effectiveness.

Daniel Downey later pleaded guilty to manslaughter for restraining Murphy while Joseph Downey fatally stabbed him; Joseph Downey was re-tried and convicted a second time in 2007. That conviction was also reversed after the Appeals Court found that the trial judge had impermissibly closed the courtroom for a short time during jury selection.

Downey is due back in court on the murder case on Oct. 3. He was represented today by attorney Lauren Thomas.