Thursday, November 21, 2013
Longtime Kanawha assistant prosecutor to retire
Craig Cunningham
Don Morris, an assistant prosecutor in Kanawha County, is set to retire next month. Morris, 55, has handled more than 150 cases, including 30 murders.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- As Don Morris delivered his closing arguments in the murder of a Nitro man 20 years ago, he was doing more than securing a murder conviction.
He was also inspiring a young girl -- the sister of murder victim Todd Farley -- to take up the practice of law herself one day.
That young girl (who is now technically Morris' boss) has nothing but glowing remarks for her mentor and friend as he prepares to retire from the Kanawha County Prosecutor's Office on Dec. 6.
"That's why I am a prosecutor," Tera Salango, co-chief of staff to Prosecutor Mark Plants, said Wednesday evening. "I remember sitting in the courtroom and watching him, thinking 'That's what I want to do.'
"Don has been such a mentor to me and a good role model for all of us."
Morris' arguments would secure a murder conviction and life sentence for Dale Guthrie, who stabbed Farley to death at a Charleston restaurant.
In his 27 years with the prosecutor's office, Morris, 55, has made an impression on a number of up-and-coming attorneys.
"I love to just sit in my office and hear 'Don stories,'<\!p><\#148> Salango said. "He's so knowledgeable. I'm going to miss being able to sit down like that and listen."
Former assistant prosecutor Maryclaire Akers, who now works in the state Attorney General's Office, also sang his praises. She said he taught her much of what she knows.
"Don is a great lawyer, but he's an even better person," Akers said. "It really does take some patience to teach younger lawyers how to be good at the law.
"If I ever needed a lawyer, I would call Don Morris first. Because of the kind of person he is and the kind of lawyer he is, I know whatever he decides to do next he's going to be great at it."
She was assigned to juvenile court when she started at the prosecutor's office in 1999 and said he walked her to the courtroom and spent the entire day teaching her about the law.
"He's very passionate about juvenile cases and about trying to help the youth," Akers said. "That day he probably gave me the best talk I ever had and gave me advice that I've used throughout my career as a prosecutor and beyond that."
She said he was always there to answer questions and became a good friend.
***
Sitting in his corner office at the Kanawha County Prosecutor's Office on Virginia Street, Morris is surrounded by court documents, police reports and photos of his family. He plans to work on cases until his retirement.
"I just think I've done everything I can do in the prosecutor's office," he said when asked why he's decided to leave.
A Huntington area native, he graduated from Barboursville High School in 1976 and went to Marshall University.
He said his first career aspiration was to be a policeman. His neighbor was a Huntington police officer and had tried to recruit him, he said.
But when the opportunity for law school arose, he took it, heading to West Virginia University. He wanted to be a prosecutor.
"Quite frankly, I've always had an interest in serving the public, and I wanted to do what I could to protect the public and put bad guys in jail," Morris said.
He had just settled into private practice in Huntington when he received a call from John Frail, a law school buddy who now is an assistant U.S. attorney but then was an assistant prosecutor in Kanawha County.
Frail told him there was an opening for a juvenile prosecutor and asked if he would be interested. Morris was hired by then-prosecutor Charlie King, who now is a circuit court judge. He moved his family to Charleston and set to work.
In his time with the office, he has handled more than 150 cases, including about 30 murders.
Some cases stick out more than others.
He spent the summer of 2011 reading over the hundreds of thousands of pages of evidence collected in the Kanawha Sniper investigation. He applauded the police work on the case.
"You can't do this job without good police work to begin with," Morris said.
The evidence filled a room at the prosecutor's office, and it was up to him and Akers to sift through it to bring the suspect, Shawn Lester, to justice.
"I'd go home at night and actually my eyesight would be blurry from reading so much," Morris recalled. "I'd say between us and law enforcement it was thousands of hours of work."
Lester, charged with the murder of Jeannie Patton, Gary Carrier and Okey Meadows, would later plead guilty to Patton's death as trial was set to begin in 2012. Lester was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
"We were quite happy to get that plea after all those years," Morris said. "People had died, evidence wasn't available anymore.
"It was a case, quite frankly, I thought could have very easily ended in a not-guilty verdict had we gone to trial. I was pretty pleased with the outcome."
***
He isn't one for a pat on the back after securing a conviction. He said that's the last thing he wants.
"We don't really win cases," Morris said. "We seek justice and if the jury -- whichever way the jury speaks -- then we've attempted to bring justice."
He said he doesn't want to let victims' families down. At the beginning of a murder case, he said he always would ask the victim's family for a photograph to remind him whom he's seeking justice for.
A married father of three, including a junior at George Washington High School, and grandfather, he enjoys fishing, hunting and generally being outdoors, something he plans on doing more of.
He met his wife, Kathy, while working at the prosecutor's office.
His son is in his fourth year of medical school and soon will graduate. His oldest daughter is a Vista volunteer in Utah. He looks forward to watching his youngest daughter cheer at GW sporting events.
He doesn't know what he'll do next as far as work, other than it more than likely will be in the law.
He's thought of private practice, but said he'll have to brush up on his civil law. He's also thought of becoming a defense attorney, saying it would be interesting to be on the other side. He said everyone deserves a good defense.
"Those are certainly options," Morris said with a smile.
Sounds,like he had never had his license,to pratice,law,suspended 4 tines,like,honest, Simmons,and isnt the type of man to get,a nick name like beer,bong Bob.
ReplyDeletei hope he moves this case out of this county ........this just might bring to light all the evil that martin really is ........good has to triumph sooner or later ......
ReplyDeleteit aint movin' outta the county.....we got a visitin' judge and visitin' prosecutor gettin' imported to the dark forest.
Deletewhat about the jury,the times has already made up their minds for them.......
Deletethe best thing donna has going for her is a local jury.
Deletethey will be instructed by the judge to follow specific rules.
they can either choose to follow the instructions of the judge.........or develop their own based on the history of events and ongoing war in the dark forest.
the more I read this indictment the more I think its gonna be a slam dunk case AGAINST price and she will be found GUILTY of the FELONY.
ReplyDeletelook at the felony count where they were NOT able to get a true bill indictment. it is incredibly vague and covers the entire duration of price's time in the p.a.'s office.
it mentions NO SPECIFICS or any set dollar amount where they are accusing her of grand larceny.
however, look at the felony count where they were able to get a true bill for EMBEZZLEMENT. IT IS INCREDIBLY SPECIFIC.
it alleges that the crime transpired on TWO DAYS- PRICE'S LAST DAY IN OFFICE- DEC 31, AND JAN 1.
the indictment lists highly specific items that were removed from the p.a.'s office- ipads, law books, water cooler, space heater, wall charts, etc.
every lawyer ive spoken to about this case indicates that if those items are listed in the indictment.........those items have already been seized and are in the possession of the state and its special prosecuting attorney.
it almost sounds as if the state has price on video removing these very specific items and toting them out of her office, down the hall of the courthouse, out the doors, and then thru the parking lot to her awaiting vehicle and then unloading said items into her personal residence and/or private legal office............and you can bet that the state most likely already does have price on video.
the indictment was presented by steve staton of the wv commission on special investigations.
do you think that mr. staton has no personal life and no personal plans on NEW YEARS EVE and/or NEW YEARS DAY?
unlikely.
do you think that mr. staton (of Charleston) just happened to be in Pocahontas for new years eve/new years day and just happened to be working and videotaping price packing up her office?
unlikely.
however, others that had knowledge that price would be packing up her office and held a personal and professional vendetta against her might be very interested in videotaping price...............on days that the courthouse would be closed to the public.
so, with all the fuss lately over courthouse cameras and security, we gotta look at who is in charge of said cameras and security.
why, its none other that juxtaposed jonese.
jonese has stated that those cameras are "his" cameras.......and has utilized them for personal benefit in running for professional office.......and to personally trash price on his facebook page.
who would have an interest in videotaping price on new years eve/new years day?
more than likely, the same person who has admitted to conducting multiple sting operations against price..........including incorporating the state police into investigations.
more than likely, someone who is seething with rage for being personally embarrassed at covering for, and then promoting, a serial rapist and sex offender.
more than likely, someone who's reputation and office has been severely damaged and that has been exposed for being crooked and incompetent.