Meet Denise

I am a lifelong resident of Suffolk County, New York.  My husband, Peter and I have lived in Wading River, for more than 26 years with my two children. My daughter is an attorney and my son is a middle school English teacher. Both graduated from Shoreham-Wading River High School. I am also a grandmother of four grandchildren.

 I am an attorney with a 32 year career in public service, serving the residents of Suffolk County, New York. 

I grew up in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York.  After graduating from Sachem High School and then SUNY Stony Brook, I obtained my law degree from Albany Law School in 1986.  My career in public service initially began as an Assistant County Attorney with the Suffolk County Attorney's Office where I tried child abuse cases and helped petitioners obtain child support payments.

In 1988, I became an Assistant District Attorney in the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office and retired after 30 years of service.  During my career in the District Attorney's Office, I was assigned to the Homicide Bureau for 11 years where I personally tried to verdict 29 homicide trials.  I was the first Assistant District Attorney in New York State to obtain guilty verdicts against two defendants for Murder in the First Degree, murder for hire, simultaneously with two separate juries.  I have personally tried 49 felony jury trials where defendants were charged with crimes such as robbery, burglary, rape, assault, conspiracy to commit murder and murder.

In addition to prosecuting violent felony cases, I have served as Deputy Bureau Chief of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau where I supervised 15 Assistant District Attorneys in their prosecution of child abuse, attempted murder, rape and other violent felonies committed against family members and domestic partners.  I also served as Deputy Bureau Chief of the Major Crimes Bureau where I supervised 9 Assistant District Attorneys in their prosecution of violent felonies.   

After retiring from the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, I became an adjunct professor at Touro Law School where I currently teach trial advocacy courses.  Additionally, I volunteer my time coaching law school students to compete in national mock trial competitions.

All my life I have been helping to protect and serve Suffolk County residents and when elected to the Riverhead Town Council I will protect and promote the economic advancements, the environment,  and the lifestyle we all love about our beautiful town.

Riverhead Town Councilwoman Denise Merrifield / 2024 Year in Review

What a pleasure and honor it has been to serve the residents of Riverhead this past year. My first year on the Town Board has been an exciting, productive year, filled with many accomplishments.

1. I am very proud to have participated in the adoption of the 2024 Town of Riverhead Comprehensive Plan.

Other actions I’ve taken during my first year on the Town Board include:

2. Promoting Lt. Edward Frost to Chief of Police of Riverhead Police Department.

3. Promoting Lt. Danielle Willsey as the first woman Police Captain of the Riverhead Police Department.

4. Permitting the installation of a much needed communication tower at the Wading River Fire Department to assist police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel to assist residents in an area which has lacked wireless communication for over two decades.

5. Assisted Riverhead Cornell Cooperative in their support of our local fisherman by participating in the Country Fair this year.

6. Working with the Recreation Department to provide free ice skating dates for town children during holiday vacations from school.

7. Working on the Personnel Committee to hire town employees for positions such as police officers, grounds keepers, accountants and cooks.

8. Working on the Environmental Advisory Committee to help local green initiatives such as the food scraps to compost program expansion and the recycling of oyster shells from our local restaurants back to the water for new oyster propagation.

9. Working on the Senior Citizen Committee to provide the Senior Guide and My Senior MAP (My Aging Plan) to town residents.

10. Working with the Inclusive Task Force to ensure the Town Square Playground has appropriate inclusion rides and activities for all children.

Being a Town Board member and liaison to committees is only one part of my responsibilities. Just as important to me, has been the opportunity to attend town events and talk with residents. Some of the events I have attended are: the Jamesport St. Patrick’s Day events, the Jamesport Firefighter Parade, the Memorial Day Parade and the Christmas Parade, the Riverhead Police Department PBA Installation dinner, the Three Kings / Housing Helps event, Heidi's Angels, Anti Bias Task Force events including movie night and food events, walking on CAP (Community Awareness Program) Day march and assisting in the CAP scan of vape shops with police, Opening Day Little League at Stotsky Park, the Mosaic Art Festival, Reflections Art events and Oktoberfest, the Wading River Duck Pond Day, the Jamesport Carnival, Paddle Battle, Polish Festival and Fair, the East End Arts Summer Soiree, the Cardboard Boat Race, 911 Memorial events, the Wading River Fall Festival at Eastwind, the Country Fair, Veteran’s Day WWI Memorial service, and the Christmas Parade, Tree and Menorah lighting.

The most surprising part of my first year on the Town Board is just how fast the year flew by.

In the upcoming year, I look forward to working on creating a Riverhead Seafood Festival, a Riverhead YMCA and the continued revitalization of downtown Riverhead and Town Square.