RICHMOND -- Some snickered and wondered if Del. Joseph D. Morrissey might have had a conflict of interest Wednesday when he voted against a bill to keep "obscene materials" out of the hands of prison inmates.
Morrissey (I-Henrico) has been spending his nights in jail since before the start of the current legislative session, on a misdemeanor charge related to his relationship with a 17-year-old receptionist at his law office.
The lawmaker, who won reelection literally from his jail cell and has since been charged with four felonies on top of the earlier charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, has caused much hand-wringing and consternation in Mr. Jefferson's Capitol.
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Morrissey has a long history of legal skirmishes, starting 20 years ago with a courthouse fistfight.
In June, he was charged with multiple felonies for allegedly having sex with the young woman and sharing nude photos of her. Morrissey and the woman, now pregnant with a child prosecutors say is "perhaps" his, have denied any wrongdoing and blamed the woman's ex-girlfriend for hacking their phones to frame them.
Morrissey agreed to a plea deal in which he admitted no guilt but avoided conviction on the felony charges....A second indictment unsealed in January alleges that Morrissey, 57, submitted a forged document as evidence and lied under oath in the earlier case.
The phrase "you can't make this up" hardly suffices.
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