January 21, 2015

PRESS RELEASE:
Joe Morrissey indicted for felony fraud conducted upon Henrico Circuit Court:
When Delegate Joe Morrissey pled guilty/Alford to misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of his
17 year old receptionist in Henrico Circuit Court on 12/12/14, the Commonwealth then agreed as part of this
plea deal to withhold any further criminal charges arising from Morrisseys past criminal conduct pertaining to
this matter. However, this plea deal did not cover any new crimes committed by Morrissey.
Unfortunately for Mr. Morrissey it recently came to light that the purported Chesterfield JDR child
support order pertaining to MP, his 17 year old receptionist, which order Morrissey introduced into evidence
at his 12/12/14 plea hearing is by all evidence a forgery. You will recall that in Morrisseys purported defense
version of facts contained in his 12/12/14 guilty plea agreement he stressed that the real reason MP was
found in alone in his home with him at mid-night on 8/23/13 was not to have sex with him again as contended
by the Commonwealth, but was to speak to him about her fathers failure to pay $18,000 in court-ordered child
support that was to have been saved for her college expenses which defense claim now also proves to be
totally false. There is no record in the Chesterfield JDR Court file that MPs father was ever ordered to pay
child support for MP only that a child custody agreement was approved by that court. Indeed the entire 2d.
page of the purported court order introduced into evidence by Morrissey appears to be a fabrication.
In Virginia it is a felony punishable from 2-10 years in prison in violation of Code section 18.2-168 to
utter (present as true) a forged public record such as this fabricated court order. Additionally, Morrissey caused
MPs mother, Deidra Warren, to testify at his plea hearing in which she falsely asserted that the forged order
was true and correct, which is alleged to constitute perjury, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Accordingly, on 1/12/15 the Henrico County Grand Jury issued the following direct indictments all
arising from Mr. Morrisseys and Ms. Warrens 12/12/14 conduct in court:
Morrissey:

Felony uttering a forged public record; and

Felony conspiracy to utter forged record ( 1-10 years);
Felony inducing perjury Code section 18.2-436 (1-10 years); and
Perjury.

Felony uttering a forged public record; and

Perjury; and
Conspiracy to utter forged public record.

Warren:

Judge C. Hammond then on 1/12/15 sealed these indictments and issued a gag order until a new trial
judge designate could be appointed by the Virginia Supreme Court, since Delegate Morrissey still represents
part of Henrico County. Last week the Supreme Court appointed Judge A. Swersky (retired from Alexandria
circuit court) as the new trial judge designate in this case.

Today Judge Swersky unsealed the indictments, issued bench warrants (capias) for Morrissey and
Warren and lifted the gag order. Judge Swersky indicated today in court that he will be appointing a new
special prosecutor effective 2/9/15 to handle these new indictments.
Until 2/9/15 it has fallen to me, as the present special prosecutor, to advise and assist the Henrico
Police in this matter since Delegate Morrisseys representation of part of Henrico County still causes a conflict
of interest for Shannon Taylor, CA for Henrico. In July 2014 Judge Designate Bass entered an expanded
special prosecutor order in the Morrissey matter appointing me and my assistant prosecutors to investigate
and prosecute this entire matter, as well as any matters arising from it until its completion Further, since
these new crimes occurred in Henrico Circuit Court on 12/12/14 before Judge Bass had finished accepting
Morrisseys guilty plea and sentenced him, then they fell under my jurisdiction as special prosecutor to handle.1
As has been the case throughout this long investigation and prosecution of Delegate Morrissey, the
Henrico Police Department has performed its investigation with incredibly professional diligence and expertise
for which I again thank them.
William F. Neely, Special Prosecutor

1 In Virginia commonwealths attorneys appointed as special prosecutors receive no additional pay or

compensation for their additional duties. Indeed, all that this prosecutor has received for over 1 year
of work in this matter is reimbursement of his mileage expenses to and from Henrico County.