Opinion ID: 2967666
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Morrissey’s History of Misconduct

Text: Frequent episodes of unethical, contumacious, or otherwise inappropriate conduct mar Joseph D. Morrissey’s career as prosecutor and 1 Pursuant to Local Rule 83.1 (L), all attorneys practicing in this district are admitted subject to the rules, conditions and provisions of the Federal Rules of Disciplinary Enforcement (F.R.D.E.) as enacted in Appendix B to the Local Rules. Disbarment for misconduct may be imposed for good cause shown, and after notice and opportunity to be heard. F.R.D.E. IV. 14 IN RE: MORRISSEY private defense attorney. Evidence gathered by F.R.D.E. Counsel and made a part of the record during the hearing before this panel demonstrates Morrissey’s fifteen 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. This history of misconduct is well documented. On March 24, 1986, the Richmond Circuit Court held Morrissey in contempt and fined him $50 for berating the judge and continuing to argue after the court’s ruling.2 See Commonwealth v. Miles, No. 86-F-129(Va. Cir. Ct. March 24, 1986); Morrissey v. Virginia State Bar, 538 S.E.2d 677, 680 (Va. 2000). In December 1987, the Henrico County Circuit Court twice cited Morrissey for contempt in the same trial, fining him $50 for the first violation and $100 for the second. See Commonwealth v. Walker, No. 87-F-1143 (Va. Cir. Ct. Dec. 18, 1987); Morrissey v. Virginia State Bar, 9538 S.E.2d at 680. Morrissey was again cited for contempt and fined $50 in the Henrico County Circuit Court on May 3, 1988. See Commonwealth v. Gudd, No. 88-F-8 (Va. Cir. Ct. May 3, 1988); Morrissey v. Virginia State Bar, 538 S.E.2d at 680. Disciplinary proceedings were instituted against Morrissey on April 12, 1990, however, the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Committee offered to dismiss a disciplinary complaint on the condition that Morrissey attend the Virginia State Bar professionalism course upon his return to private practice. See Notice of Dismissal upon Terms, F.R.D.E. Counsel Report, Ex. 6. On December 28, 1990, the Virginia State Bar District Disciplinary Committee reprimanded Morrissey for failing to timely file a petition for appeal, failing to file a habeas corpus petition, and failing to inform his client of these omissions. The Disciplinary Board later affirmed this reprimand. See Morrissey v. Virginia State Bar, 538 S.E.2d at 680. Morrissey’s next episode of misconduct involved a confrontation with Judge John P. Driscoll, a substitute judge in the General District Court for the City of Richmond. See Morrissey v. Commonwealth, 428 S.E.2d 503 (Va. 1993). On June 17, 1991, while Morrissey was 2 The court subsequently vacated this conviction after Morrissey submitted a written apology. IN RE: MORRISSEY 15 serving as Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond, Judge Driscoll refused to accept a plea agreement offered by an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, commenting from the bench on the poor preparation and performance of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. Id. Morrissey arrived from an adjacent courtroom, entered an appearance, and proceeded to challenge the substitute judge’s rejection of the plea agreement. Id. at 503-04. An argument ensued, and on June 19 Morrissey wrote a letter to Judge Driscoll complaining about his conduct on the bench. Id. at 504-05. The letter closed as follows: Finally, five police officers and one attorney observed the colloquy between you and me in the Courtroom. Although I was unfailingly courteous to you, it was evident to everybody that you were trying to bait me—perhaps so you could hold me in contempt. Please be assured Mr. Driscoll that if that behavior ever, ever, happens again, I will not be so kind as to merely draft you a letter of indignation. Id. On July 18, 1991, Morrissey was found guilty of contempt for issuing this letter and sentenced to five days in jail. Id. at 505. Both the Circuit Court and the Virginia Court of Appeals subsequently upheld this contempt conviction. Id. On December 19, 1991, Morrissey was held in contempt for engaging in a fist fight with opposing counsel during a criminal trial in Richmond Circuit Court. A three-judge panel subsequently repri- manded Morrissey for this conduct. See Morrissey v. Virginia State Bar, 538 S.E.2d at 680. On August 31, 1993, the Virginia State Bar District Subcommittee offered to dismiss a disciplinary complaint arising from Morrissey’s unilateral decision as Commonwealth Attorney to amend a felony arrest warrant down to a misdemeanor without leave of court. The Subcommittee conditioned dismissal on a formal apology to the trial judge. See Subcommittee Determination (Dismissal with Terms), F.R.D.E. Counsel Report, Ex. 12. See also Morrissey v. Virginia State Bar, 538 S.E.2d at 680-81. Following a two day hearing on December 7-8, 1993, a threejudge court suspended Morrissey’s license to practice law for six 16 IN RE: MORRISSEY months based on Morrissey’s handling of a plea bargain in a rape case. See In re Morrissey, Chancery No. MC-4160 (Va. Cir. Ct. January 19, 1994). As Commonwealth’s Attorney, Morrissey arranged for a defendant in a felony rape case to plead guilty to a misdemeanor and for the defendant’s father to pay $25,000 to the victim and $25,000 to charities designated by Morrissey. See Morrissey v. Virginia State Bar, 448 S.E.2d 615,617 (Va. 1994). Morrissey instructed the defendant not to reveal the charity payments to the court and did not inform the victim of the charity payments. Id. at 618. Morrissey also rebuffed the victim’s request for $100,000, explaining that the arrangement was not negotiable. Id. at 617. The Virginia Supreme Court affirmed the six-month suspension. Id. at 621. On October 20, 1997, Morrissey was again cited for contempt and sentenced to 30 days in jail for an angry outburst directed at the presiding judge dur- ing a sentencing hearing held in the Chesterfield County Circuit Court. See Morrissey v. Virginia State Bar, 538 S.E.2d at 679. The incidents which bring Morrissey before this Court occurred after Morrissey’s entry into private practice. Morrissey was retained to represent Joel Harris, a longtime Richmond political figure who had been indicted by a federal grand jury for drug distribution. See In re Joseph D. Morrissey, 996 F. Supp. 530 (E.D. Va. 1998), aff’d. 168 F.3d 134 (4th Cir. 1999), cert. denied 527 U.S. 1036 (1999). During his representation of the defendant, Morrissey videotaped an interview of a key prosecution witness in which the witness recanted much of his grand jury testimony. Id. at 532. He then arranged for the media to view the taped interview during a press conference and made further public comments about the case. Id. at 533-34. Morrissey was later convicted of two counts of contempt for violating Local Rule 57(C),3 and on February 24, 1998, he was sentenced to ninety days’ imprisonment, followed by three years of probation. 3 Local Rule 57(c), captioned Pending Criminal Proceedings— Specific Topics, provides: From the time of arrest, issuance of an arrest warrant, or the filing of a complaint, information, or indictment in any criminal matter until the termination of trial or disposition without trial, a lawyer or a law firm associated with the prosecution or defense shall not release or authorize the release of any extrajudicial statement which a reasonable person would expect to be further disseminated by any means of public communication . . . IN RE: MORRISSEY 17 As conditions of probation, Morrissey was suspended from practicing in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia for three years and was instructed to commit no federal, state, or local crimes or be held in contempt of any court at any time during probation. Sentencing Hearing Tr., Feb. 24, 1998, F.R.D.E. Counsel Report, Ex. 21, at 40. Judge Payne stayed execution of the sentence and released Morrissey on his own recognizance pending appeal. The release order included requirements that Morrissey not violate any federal, state, or local laws and that he not be held in contempt of any court while on release. Despite these explicit requirements, on August 7, 1998, while free on Judge Payne’s bond order, Morrissey was held in contempt in the Circuit Court for the City of Williamsburg for directing an inappropriate comment to opposing counsel within earshot of the judge. See Sentencing Hearing Tr., August 7, 1998, F.R.D.E. Counsel Report, Ex. 22, at 2-4. Morrissey apologized after being held in custody for one hour. Based on this apology, the Court expunged the contempt citation. See Letter of Judge Powell, Septem- ber 21, 1998, F.R.D.E. Counsel Report, Ex. 23. However, because Judge Payne deemed that conduct to violate his bond order, he amended Morrissey’s bond to require anger management therapy. See In re Morrissey, Misc. No. 3:97ms16 (E.D. Va. Oct. 2, 1998). Although Morrissey subsequently participated in an anger management program, he got into a dispute with home-repair contractor Garien Wycoff while Wycoff was working at the home of one of Morrissey’s associates on July 3, 1999. The altercation escalated into a fistfight, and Wycoff was badly injured. See Hearing Transcript, July 6, 1999, F.R.D.E. Counsel Report, Ex. 26. On July 6, 1999, Judge Payne revoked Morrissey’s bond because of that fight, and Morrissey remained in jail until October 1, 1999. See In re Morrissey, Misc. No. 3:97ms16 (E.D. VA. July 6, 1999). On October 7, 1999, Morrissey was convicted by a jury of assault and battery in the Richmond Circuit Court for his role in the fight with Wycoff. See Commonwealth v. Morrissey, No. 99-F-2548 (Va. Cir. Ct. Oct. 7, 1999). On December 28, 1999, a panel of three Virginia circuit court judges suspended Morrissey’s license to practice law in Virginia for three years following a two-day hearing which addressed many of the incidents set forth above. The Virginia Supreme Court affirmed this 18 IN RE: MORRISSEY suspension, which took effect on December 15, 2000. See Morrissey v. Virginia State Bar, 538 S.E.2d at 682. The proverbial last straw involved Morrissey’s efforts to circumvent the conditions of probation imposed by Judge Payne in the Har- ris case. Morrissey was released from federal custody on October 1, 1999 and met with his federal Probation Officer, David Guertler, on October 7, 1999, to discuss the special condition of probation that he perform 300 hours of community service. Guertler informed Morrissey that at least 50 of the hours were to be performed through Habitat for Humanity (Habitat). In a December 10, 1999 meeting, Guertler instructed Morrissey to begin his work with Habitat and reminded Morrissey that he could not provide legal services as a way to fulfill this service requirement. Soon thereafter, Morrissey contacted Ted Grivetti, the local coordinator for Habitat projects. Morrissey explained his community service requirement, claimed to have completed work for an elderly neighbor, and asked Grivetti to sign his community service time sheet reflecting Morrissey’s services to his neighbor as satisfying the Habitat requirement. When Grivetti refused and advised Morrissey to speak to his probation officer, Morrissey denied having a probation officer. Morrissey then offered to provide free legal services to Habitat if Grivetti would sign off on his community service time sheet. Grivetti again declined, stating that he would only sign off on hours spent on an actual Habitat project. Grivetti later related this conversation to Andrea Edmonds, then a probation officer, who in turn advised Guertler of Morrissey’s offers to Grivetti. After further investigation, Guertler and his supervisor confronted Morrissey in a meeting on February 16, 2000. In that meeting, Morrissey denied ever asking Grivetti to sign his time sheet reflecting hours purportedly worked for his neighbor and also denied offering to perform legal services as his community service. Probation Officer Guertler filed a revocation petition and on April 20, 2000, Judge Payne issued a Show Cause Order directing Mor- rissey to show cause why his probation should not be revoked because of his overtures to Grivetti. Following an evidentiary hearing, Judge Payne concluded that Morrissey had violated 18 U.S.C. § 10014 4 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a) provides, in relevant part, that [W]hoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, IN RE: MORRISSEY 19 by lying to his probation officer when denying his discussions with Grivetti. He also found that Morrissey had, in fact, offered legal services in exchange for the falsification of service report sheets. See Hearing Transcript, October 28, 2000, F.R.D.E. Counsel Report, Ex. 29.5 Judge Payne revoked Morrissey’s probation and sentenced him to an additional 90 days incarceration. See In re Morrissey, Misc. No. 3:97ms16 (E.D. Va. Sept. 5, 2000). The Fourth Circuit subsequently affirmed both the revocation of probation and the sentence imposed. See In re Morrissey, 238 F.3d 413, 2000 WL 1868978 (4th Cir. Dec. 22, 2000)(unpublished).