Joe Morrissey

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Joe Morrissey
Joseph D. Morrissey 2010.jpg
Morrissey in 2010
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from the 74th district
In office
January 13, 2015 – March 25, 2015
Preceded by Himself
Succeeded by vacant
In office
January 9, 2008 – December 18, 2014
Preceded by A. Donald McEachin
Succeeded by Himself
Personal details
Born Joseph Dee Morrissey
( 1957 -09-23) September 23, 1957 (age 66)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party independent [1]
Children Angela, Lindsey, Kennedy, Chase Pride
Residence Richmond, Virginia
Alma mater University of Virginia (B.A.)
Georgetown University (J.D.)
Trinity College, Dublin (LL.M.)
Occupation Businessman
Profession Politician
Committees Education; Health, Welfare and Institutions; Privileges and Elections
Religion New Kingdom Christian Ministry (formerly Roman Catholic)

Joseph Dee Morrissey[2] (born September 23, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer from Henrico, Virginia. Formerly as a Democrat,[1] he served as Commonwealth's Attorney of Richmond, Virginia 1989–93 and was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in November 2007. Until December 18, 2014 (and again until March 25, 2015), he represented the 74th district, made up of Charles City County and parts of Henrico and Prince George Counties and the cities of Hopewell and Richmond.[3]

Background and education

Morrissey is a descendant of John Morrissey, a 19th-century U.S. Congressman and one-time bare-knuckle boxer.[4]

Morrissey received a B.A. in economics at the University of Virginia in 1979, and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law School in 1982. He taught government as a high school teacher, and was in private practice as an attorney from 1993-2000.[5]

He was a lecturer of Law at Portobello College in Ireland from 2001-2002; taught in the law school at the Dublin Institute of Technology for two years (2001-2003), and in Australia at the University of Adelaide and the University of Western Sydney in 2003 until he was fired for failing to disclose the fact he had been disbarred.[6] New South Wales Bar Association on April 26, 2006 found Mr Morrissey was "not a fit and proper person to be admitted as a legal practitioner".[7]

He earned a master of laws degree with honors at Trinity College, Dublin in 2003.[8]

Gun on the floor

Morrissey attracted national attention in January 2013, when during a debate on gun control he pulled an unloaded AK-47 from under his desk and flourished it on the floor of the House of Delegates, after a Republican-controlled subcommittee had killed a bill of his that would have tightened gun controls in the commonwealth on weapons such as AK-47s. He announced, "A lot of people don't know that in many locations in the commonwealth, you can take this gun, you can walk in the middle of Main Street loaded and not be in violation of the law."[9][10][11]

Legal troubles

Disbarment and law license revocation

As an attorney, Morrissey was cited for contempt of court ten times and was jailed or arrested five times.[12] On December 21, 2001, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Morrissey was disbarred and on April 25, 2003, his license to practice law was revoked by the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board.[2] "Frequent episodes of unethical, contumacious, or otherwise inappropriate conduct mar Joseph D. Morrissey's career as prosecutor and private defence attorney," the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit noted in September 2002. The court said, "Evidence … demonstrates Morrissey's 15-year history of contempt citations, reprimands, fines, suspensions, and even incarcerations arising from unprofessional conduct mostly involving an uncontrollable temper, inappropriate responses to stress and dishonesty."[6][13]

On December 16, 2011 The Supreme Court of Virginia approved a petition for his reinstatement to the bar.[14] However, Morrissey remains ineligible to practice in the federal court.

Alleged sex crimes and indictment

In August 2013, Morrissey was found by police to be in his home in Henrico County with a 17-year-old girl, who was an employee of his law office. Morrissey, the girl, and her mother, denied any impropriety, but subsequently, a Henrico County court convened a grand jury to investigate a possible improper sexual relationship between Morrissey and the girl.[12] On June 30, 2014, Morrissey was indicted on felony charges of indecent liberties with a minor, possession and distribution of child pornography, and electronic solicitation of a minor, in addition to a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.[12] According to statements from the prosecutor in court documents, Morrissey had sex with the girl multiple times in his law office in August 2013, and possessed a nude photograph of the girl, which he also sent to a friend.[12] Morrissey allegedly continued the relationship with the girl after she left his law office in August 2013, and the two allegedly shared a hotel room overnight in October 2013.[12] Morrissey has denied the charges, saying the girl came to him for advice about family problems and was being abused by her father, and that the special prosecutor was out to get him because of a personal vendetta. Morrissey said he rejected a plea bargain for a single misdemeanor in December 2013.[15] Morrissey initially vowed to fight the charges in court, declaring that he would be vindicated, and rejected calls to resign his House seat.[16]

Morrissey's case made national headlines in July 2014 when he used an obscenity on live television while reading a text message he claimed was planted on his phone by hackers.[16] Morrissey has since entered into a plea agreement in which he will make an Alford plea to one misdemeanor charge and receive an active jail sentence. News reports indicated that Morrissey would be eligible to attend sessions of the legislature on work release.[17] Leading members of the Virginia Democratic Party, including Governor Terry McAuliffe called for Morrissey to resign his seat.[18] Morrissey resigned his seat on December 18, 2014,[19] but ran in the special election to fill the vacancy. On January 13, 2015, Morrissey won that election to reclaim his seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.[20]

William Neely, the special prosecutor appointed to investigate the Morrissey case, secured new felony indictments January 21, 2015 against Morrissey for perjury and for presenting forged documents during his sentencing hearing.[21]

In March 2015 Morrissey was disqualified from the House of Delegates after filing to run for a state Senate seat outside of his district.[22][23]

In May 2015, Morrissey confirmed he is the father of Pride's son. Though Morrissey admitted having sexual relationships with a then 17 year old Pride in a plea agreement following a conviction for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, both continue to maintain that no sexual activity occurred before she was of legal age. Pride and Morrissey add that they want to get married and have additional children. [24]

Personal life

Morrissey has never been married, and is the father of record to: three daughters, Angela, Lindsay and Kennedy and a son, Chase, by four different woman. At first he denied paternity of his son, born March 2015 to his erstwhile legal intern, Myrna Pride.[25] On May 20, 2015, he confirmed paternity of the boy.[26] At 57 years old, he is three times the age of Pride, who is 19.[27]

He lives in Henrico County. Raised as a Catholic, Morrissey also worships at New Kingdom Christian Ministry in Henrico County, a Baptist Church led by a former Mayor of Richmond.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Virginia House of Delegates bio, 2009
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ "Representative Joseph 'Joe' D. Morrissey's Biography" 'Project Vote Smart accessed January 18, 2013
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ http://www.nswbar.asn.au/docs/professional/pcd/pcd_ar06.pdf
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ "House-Controlled Subcommittee Considers Gun Legislation" WVIR-TV January 17, 2013
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ http://wtvr.com/2015/05/14/joe-morrissey-family-photo/
  26. ↑ http://wtvr.com/2015/05/20/joe-morrissey-admits-to-fathering-lovechild-with-teen-staffer/
  27. ↑ [1], retrieved May 27, 2015

External links

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