Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald, Jr. was elected in November 2004, and sworn into office by then Massachusetts Governor W. Mitt Romney on January 5, 2005. Sheriff McDonald is the 30th High Sheriff of the County of Plymouth, an office which dates back to 1692.

Prior to being elected to the county’s top law enforcement post, Sheriff McDonald served for almost nine years as an assistant District Attorney for Plymouth County.

Sheriff McDonald is a life-long native of Plymouth County having grown up in Marshfield, and now residing in the Town of Kingston.

Sheriff McDonald is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in May of 1988, and a graduate of the Suffolk University Law School, receiving his Juris Doctor degree in May of 1991.

Most recently the Sheriff was honored to be selected from among a pool of international, federal, state and local law enforcement agency heads and superior officers to attend the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (LEEDS 59th Session) at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Among Sheriff McDonald’s professional associations are memberships in the following organizations: The National Sheriff’s Association (NSA), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the FBI Law Enforcement Development Association (LEEDA), Massachusetts Sheriff’s Association (currently serving as MSA Vice President), the American Correctional Association (ACA) Southeast Massachusetts Prosecutor’s Association (former association secretary) , Southeast Massachusetts Detective’s Association (SEMDA), Plymouth County Police Chief’s Association, the Plymouth County Police Officer’s Association, and the Plymouth District Bar Association (past president 2005).

Sheriff McDonald is also admitted to both the Massachusetts and the United States District Court bars.

The Sheriff is an avid sportsman and target shooter, belonging to the Marshfield Rod and Gun Club as well as the Old Colony Sportsman’s Association in Pembroke and the Middleboro Sportsman’s Club. He enjoys informal and competitive target shooting with handguns and rifles, as well as shotguns and antique black powder firearms.

An avid U.S. and local history buff, the Sheriff has taught history and criminal justice classes as an adjunct professor at the Plymouth campus of Quincy College.

The Sheriff is also a fan of classic American automobiles, and can frequently be seen cruising to local car shows and cruise nights in his original factory stock 1968 Pontiac Firebird 350 Coupe.

Sheriff McDonald, his wife and two daughters make their home in Kingston.

1954 Ford Fordor Cruiser

Sheriff's 1968 Pontiac Firebird

From Sheriff Bradford to Sheriff McDonald Past Sheriffs & Years of Service John Bradford 1692-1699 James Warren 1699-1700 Seth Arnold 1700-1701 Nathaniel Warren 1701-1706 Issac Lothrop 1706-1721 Thomas Barker 1721-1731 Jonathan Holman 1731-1733 James Warren, Sr. 1733-1756 James Warren, Jr. 1756-1779 George Partridge 1779-1813 Albert Smith 1813 Nathan Hayward 1813-1845 Branch Harlow 1845-1852 William Thomas 1852-1854 Branch Harlow 1854-1855 Daniel Phillips 1855-1856 John Perkins 1856-1857 Daniel Phillips 1857-1860 James Bates 1860-1876 Alphesus Harmon 1876-1902 Henry Porter 1902-1919 Earl Blake 1919-1928 Charles Robbins 1928-1955 Adnah Harlow 1955-1971 Linwood Snow 1971-1980 Peter Flynn 1980-1994 Peter Forman 1994-2000 Charles Decas 2000 Joseph McDonough 2000-2005 Joseph D. McDonald Jr. 2005-PRESENT