Morgan Harrington Case: Virginia State Police On New Search
Charlottesville, VA– Virginia State Police are searching an area of route 64, between mile markers 112 and 114 today in their efforts to locate missing VT student, Morgan Harrington.
Located approximately 4 miles west of Charlottesville, VA, the stretch of highway leads up to an early area of interest, Crozet, VA.
VSP PR Manager, Connie Geller says the area is not being searched based on any new tip.
Check back to blinkoncrime.com for this developing story.
Update #1. Jim Hanchett, Newsplex, reports the search has ended for this area today, and is awaiting any news of other possible search areas.
Related Posts
Related Posts:
1,856 Comments
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
‘Sorry, I was sending you wheel bling. Improvements to your wheel for your hard work.
I am sorry you are not feeling well friend.
B’
Blink,
No, it’s the photo – - gave me an instant bad feeling.
(thank you for the bling, it is perfect)
Yes. I agree. But you knew that I am sure.
Blinkbling. Uhoh.
B
Wait, you guys are saying that paving dude is the same dude as in front of the couch? Jeez, I wouldn’t have recognized him as being the same character. I must be awful with faces. I do think the swarthy coheed and cambria guy looks just like the annoying Indian dude in Parks and Recreation, but the paving guy? huh. Go figure! Good catch.
B—pimp my wheel! too funny
Lots of thoughts tonight. First if Morgans brother did not give her the necklace..why say anything at all. Nobody asked who bought the boots? Nobody asked who bought the necklace. I think Morgans brother did in deed buy her the necklace and that is why Gil quite naturally mentioned it..thinking back to that happy time.
The nine might not be as close as they were in high school but remember Amy, Morgans roommate was one of the nine so those two were together. Also that halloween party. How many of those in the pictures were members of the nine. I know Sarah and Amy were there not sure of the others.
I believe it was in the Chicago Tribune article that I posted earlier it said Tucker had left the school. I too find that strange considering he would graduate in June. Time to knuckle down and get that degree.
Finally I can understand LE not putting out too much information in the beginning but we are over two months. Pictures might jog somebodys memory of Morgan that night. Another two months and nobody will remember anything. I think it is time they have another press release.
Finally for sure this time. Blink do you believe from your LE conversations that they are working hard on solving this case? For a long time now posters say LE will decide, LE is on it, LE is doing everything to find Morgan. Are they?
Thanks for hearing me out.
I do believe they are. I am not yet convinced they are going about it correctly.
B
If an attorney knows his client is guilty of murder, or any other crime, the attorney CANNOT break the privilege. It is rare when the privilege is broken.
My client confess to a murder. I cannot ever tell anyone what he has told me. He confesses to a murder and tells me he is going to commit another one… that’s different.
The privilege is only broken if the attorney is told by his client that the client is going to commit a crime. ‘I’m going to kill that guy tonight.’ The attorney has a professional responsibility to go to authorities.
One of the most well known privilege cases.
http://gacriminallawblog.com/2008/04/16/attorney-client-privilege/
Wow. Gil is an interesting woman. She really doesn’t mince words.
Good for her. Her honesty is somewhat shocking, yet refreshing.
Comment by wpgmouse — December 29, 2009 @ 10:32 pm:
[Comment by clementine — December 29, 2009 @ 6:32 pm
from clementine (re Shannon M.):
“Top photo, forefront, he’s seen in the burgundy shirt, in front of Morgan. Bottom photo, his prior Facebook picture.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45970010@N07/”
__________________________
The guy on the right is wearing a t-shirt from the New York METAL band
Coheed and Cambria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coheed_and_Cambria
Notice the backdrop
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WarpedTour07.jpg
clementine,
Do you know the date of that group photo?]
_________________________
Wpgmouse, it was added in April 2008 and the caption read “the old crew, miss them!!” Yes, Erin Cole is in the photo as well.
Glad you appreciate my new Flickr account, I had you in mind when I set it up
I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. Keep your whiskers up – and don’t overdo it on the wheel. Hope you feel better soon.
“The guy on the right is wearing a t-shirt from the New York METAL band
Coheed and Cambria”
correction to METAL: “The band incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, heavy metal and post-hardcore.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coheed_and_Cambria
Comment by belleboyd — December 29, 2009 @ 9:41 pm
I recall the recently posted pictures of people, students and parents at the reunion, or perhaps it was “Parents Weekend” at JMU on Oct. 17. There was a lot of tail-gating going on, as expected. Were those pictures from 2009? Someone help me here, I can no longer find them.
FYI:
belleboyd: it was “homecoming” the weekend of october 17, 2009. there were lots of parties and people in town due to the Jmu vs. Villanova football game. this was a very busy weekend. lots of campus activities. restaurants were filled. lots of waiting.
“parent or family” weekend was the weekend before. many adults filled hburg. the restuarants were packed on this weekend, also. i hope this helps.
Fish, I believe parent weekend was at JMU 10/17
B
You’re welcome, Lizzy. Agree, he looks a bit out of place there.
Re: #1045
wpgmouse… great eyes!!! this is right on! i made mention previously of a musician named les claypool playing the all good festival in 2006 (morgan attended in 2008). she liked some metal acts and/or hung with a group that did…as did shannon, the paver.
Black Pearl, agreed about the drug references. Dare I say that you are right?
I have said from the beginning that these parents have made an understandable attempt to ‘white wash’ something.
Smart move, of course. They wanted the public to maintain focus, as they should. It really matters not what her habits were.
It may , however, be a partial insight into how or why she may have met an ill fate, of course.
I am confused. Who is Clementine and who are those people in the pictures. I think I have seen the dark haired girl before. She was in a picture or two with Morgan. Is she one of the nine?
Hi NYC Dude. Love your posts. I am now in NJ, formerly NYC.
Anyway, could you or someone else explain who this ‘assclown’ is?
Is he one of my Facebook Favorites? Cause you know I have a few!
Thanks
You know as much as I think the friends have seem detached from Morgan I really do worry about them. They are young and this is a terrible lot that has been cast on them. I hope they are getting much love from family and some counseling from professionals. Sometimes the darkneess creeps in on people and at their young age it all becomes too much. I pray they are all safe.
Somebody was asking about the car. This was posted by Dan Harrington and it might clear up things a bit. His explanation is that for ten days he believed the car was never at JPJ. He said he never asked. The following is posted by Dan on Findmorgan.com
Morgan’s Car
Morgan’s car was never in Crozet. I did not even know it was in Charlottesville. That shows you that even when you are asking questions you may not even ask one that is obvious.
Morgan’s Dad
thank you for your support
Morgan’s Car
Just to clarify, i don’t think anyone lied. I think I assumed. Prior to leaving roanoke, Morgan asked if she could buy gas for her friend to drive. Thus i assumed another car was driven. I did not ask if her car was driven or not, i assumed. It would not have mattered to me whether her car was driven to the concert or not. hope that hhelps. dan
“Yes. I agree. But you knew that I am sure.
Blinkbling. Uhoh.
B ”
No, I misread you! lol I thought you were genuinely concerned that I was not feeling well and I felt bad that I may have misled you. Oh, lol.
(speaking of misleading, please ignore my post to you – silly me)
RE: #1038 wpgmouse — December 29, 2009 @ 9:45 pm
Is the young gentleman, who is on Erin Cole’s right, the same person in the pic with Morgan at the CD/Band launch at (I think) Martin’s?
Just some random thoughts:
I agree with those who think the parents are trying to keep things covered up, and I have thought this all along. I don’t think it’s a sinister motive, I just think they know things about that night that would portray Morgan, and possibly themselves, in a negative light. I think they want to preserve her reputation at all costs.
However, I have a hard time believing the friends are keeping quiet strictly because the parents have asked them to. I think they’re keeping quiet because they were up to no good themselves and feel guilty about something (such as abandoning her). The Halloween pics changed my attitude. I got no warm & fuzzy loyalty vibes from those shots whatsoever. They’re keeping quiet to protect their own patooties. JMO.
Another thought. Early witness accounts all seem to state that Morgan didn’t seem impaired. Later witness accounts state that Morgan was grossly impaired. How could she drink that much alcohol in that small of a time frame? Something else caused her impairment. I think the bathroom break is the key.
I was no angel at Morgan’s age either. To think of how many times I put myself in potential danger… Maybe that’s why I’ve been so obsessed with her case.
So no answers to my question in #864 about AM? It’s really bugging me. Anyone?
jpo, read everything questioner has written on the findmorgan board. I’d be willing to bet money that questioner believes a board is the same thing as a chat room. When she states that some one “stopped in” she means stopped into the findmorgan board, not she stopped into visit her personally at her house. I have no dog in this fight but I would bet the farm that questioner and Claudette are not the same people. questioner is just some one with a big heart who wants Morgan to come home.
As far as trust (said tounge in cheek Blink) how can you trust a website that clazims you are the 100,000th visitor every time you log in?
re: Comment by jpo — December 29, 2009 @ 7:39 pm
Just as Blink said, there has been posting and deleting on findmorgan. Example # 1 which I would direct at Baaaadbobby and I quote, “Claudette is indeed a lady from another part of VA, and Questioner is a lady from another state entirely, not even a border state to VA.”
Yesterday someone had asked questioner about the hits Claudette was getting on her site as a direct result of this controvery. Questioners reponse was something along the lines of, “yes that is funny, and just the other day Claudette stopped in asking why no one was visiting her site.” I am 100% sure she said stopped in as I thought this was a very strange remark. I remember thinking, stopped in? So the know eachother personally? They visit with eachother in person? Also, it seems as though Claudette has been having some family health issues and issues with her house due to the storm. It would seem odd that she is able to cross multiple states to visit with someone who simply “built” her website.
Funny thing. It is now gone. That whole discussion has been deleted. So Blink, you are right, I don’t trust anything that goes on over there.
Ross, a couple thoughts to your post. Actually a lot of people think Claudette and Questioner are the same people, but since I don’t know for sure I won’t discuss any further. I have my reasons I believe this. I stopped posting there a month ago because Questioner posts very strange comments. I still follow it though, because some people on there have some really great thoughts/theories. The same people who are questioning the link between the two, leaving me to believe there is some kind of connection. Oh well!
As for this comment, “As far as trust (said tounge in cheek Blink) how can you trust a website that clazims you are the 100,000th visitor every time you log in?” I can only assume you are implying not to trust this site? If so, I find that really odd when you yourself have posted here asking Blink to verify information. You obviously trust her/this site to come to it for expertise and verification, right?
rabbit19 – - can you help with this question from roageo?
Comment by roageo — December 30, 2009 @ 12:14 am
RE: #1038 wpgmouse — December 29, 2009 @ 9:45 pm
Is the young gentleman, who is on Erin Cole’s right, the same person in the pic with Morgan at the CD/Band launch at (I think) Martin’s?”
Black Pearl> your post regarding drugs was right on. The moment I saw the unicorn comment I immediately assumed she was referencing ecstasy. For those who don’t know, ecstasy is a pressed pill. These pills are almost always stamped with a symbol or image and are named after that image. They are usually stupid things like smurfs, mercedes symbols, dolphins etc. About 10+ years ago I was very involved in the whole jam band, concerts, camping, smoking tons of pot and taking ecstasy thing. To say “I had to give away my last unicorns” to me clearly means that she had some quantity of ecstasy pills stamped with a unicorn. Tearing the tips off her fingernails would be typical behavior of someone who was on ecstasy, causing her to be fidgety or having some compulsive urge to pull or bite them off. The other photo Black Pearl mentioned about “rolling” was also a red flag for me. This is a frequently used term.
I can tell you from personal experience that taking ecstasy regularly can cause drastic weight loss. You do not eat. I can also tell you that I started smoking pot at 14…even took acid once at 14. By senior year I was smoking pot everyday and taking ecstasy twice a week..my boyfriend dabbled in selling small quantities of it to friends. I probably weighed 105 lbs soaking wet at my graduation….all the while I was playing varsity field hockey, getting good grades, got into college and my parents would never even have dreamed I’d so much as smoked a cigarette in my life. They still to this day have no idea all the stuff I got into in those days. SO, just because the parents say she never had any issues with drugs does not mean it is so. I would not be surprised if she were involved with a small time drug dealer in some capacity. That being said, it doesn’t mean drugs played any role in her disappearance, nor that she is a bad person. It just means there is more than meets the eye here. As far as the friends behavior is concerned..if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck…well you know how the saying goes. These brats know something and are lying and covering their butts about something. It will be found out.
BTW I no longer partake in illegal substances of any kind, although I do have a fondness for the vino
One more thing…about the car. How is it that Dr. Harrington did not know that Morgan’s car was at the arena for 10 days?!!!!!!!?????????!
First of all:
What kind of investigating were the police doing if the they didn’t mention for 10 days to the father of a missing person that HIS car was present at the last place his daughter was seen? Were they not questioning the Harringtons at all? Did they not even think to check the car for evidence for 10 days!? Did they never once ask “How did Morgan’s car get back to the house?” DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.
Secondly:
Didn’t the Harrington’s ask the friends to relay to them every sliver of information about that night? Don’t you think it would have been pertinent information that they waited in the parking lot for several hours because they had Morgan’s car and did not want to drive home without her in it? How did that fact not come up for 10 days!?!?! They never told him that Morgan didn’t even drive her own car to the concert? DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.
Dr. Harrington said he didn’t know because he never asked. Shouldn’t that information have found it’s way to him within the first day?
jpo: Believe nothing you hear, and only half of what you see. — Mark Twain
Ok blink I have never posted here before and really want to ask you a couple questions. I have been told that you called out questioner about who she really was and that she admitted to you that she is Claudette, Loving helper and Questioner. It was said that she was a moderator of this site or had been in the past. So please tell me whats up with her? Is she trying to use others tips for money? If the moderators of that site have not 86 her yet is it because they don’t know? She is now a moderator there.
WHAT?
No person has admitted anything to me. I cannot verify who these people may or may not be, nor will I waste another second of time on it. None of those individuals have any affiliation with this site whatsoever. Everything else relative to this conversation is located in these threads. Done with this.
B
Louise. AM is Amy Melvin. Morgan’s life-long friend and current roomate. They shared a place off campus in Har. She goes to community college.She looks different in some of her pics. Amy Melvin also went to the concert with Morgan, but we still can’t figure out if she rode back with Sarah and Dan or where she went after the concert. She’s not talking because the Harrington’s asked her not to. Everyone says they don’t want the young one’s names to be tarnished. Since Morgan is missing, I guess everyone has to put up with a loss of privacy. If Morgan were my friend, I wouldn’t care what they found out about me, if I am not guilty of serious crime, then I have nothing to hide. What drinking and drugging are more important to keep quiet about? We’ve all done that. Who cares? The issue here is, where is Morgan? Morgan?
I was slipped a drug in college.
I had half a beer that night. FYI I was 22 and it was a legally obtained drink.
1/2 an hour later I was completely out of it and VERY lucky that my good friend and boyfriend recognized somethinng was wrong and took me to a safe place. However, unbeknownst to me, my friend had drugs (pot) on her so they didn’t take me to the infirmary but home to sleep it off.
I have no memory of the night in question and the “visions” of it I have were so bizarre and not true. {My roommate was home studying for a test and could attest they brought me home at 9:00 and stayed with her in the room until morning).
Morgan could have been slipped something or chosen to do something. That would explain the rapid decrease in impairment that some of the sightings (IF real) include.
But also… my friend didn’t take me for help because she had 1/2 a joint on her!!!! And she didn’t know what I’d been slipped.
I do think it possible something went wrong and friends panicked! I know there are a lot to keep a story straight but that could be why they’re so quiet.
Or, they may not all know the whole story. Perhaps, they weren’t all together when “IT” happened.
Either way… I pray EVERY day for Morgan and her family.
What keeps bugging me is why would LE make an official statement that they have no evidence of foul play? A statement like that just feeds fuel to the fire for the rumors, which I no way believe, that Morgan left on her own free will and “ran away” – absurd. So, why would LE say that?
Also, would LE make an official statement saying that she was last seen on the bridge if they in fact have reason to believe that she was at the 7-11 or Econolodge?
If they are trying to make some POI think that they are not hot on the trail when they are, then why say anything?
I really, really don’t understand these two things. I understand not releasing information that they MAY have, of course, for investigative purposes. BUT, why jeopordize public awareness of this case by making the comments that they did?
I am also seriously doubting at this point, after this much time, that LE has any idea what happened to her. Of couse, this is just my opinion. But, if so, then they need the public to help find her, like now, as well as additional witnesses, etc.
Judi-
LE works from the basis of the exclusionary rule. I know it seems off, but they cannot rule out either scenario, so they cannot say for certain there was foul play.
B
IF ANY OF MORGAN’S FRIENDS ARE READING THIS – can you answer just a couple general questions about Morgan….
1) Was it typical for her behavior to hitch-hike OR walk off to a dark bridge by herself? I though I read somewhere along the way a post by someone who knew her that said that she would never go off to walk on a dark bridge by herself.
2) Morgan seems to me to be a bright girl, could she be easily “duped” by someone? From the very little we know about Morgan, I think she would be too smart for that.
3) Was Morgan an open person? I ask this because is it possible Morgan was having “guy troubles” OR dating someone that she did not mention to anyone or was she open with people about things going on in her life?
4) Was Morgan street smart? In otherwords, was she wise to recognizing danger and knew to took measures to protect her safety or was she too trusting of people (her Mother sid this I believe)?
Don’t you think that if she was looking for a ride somewhere that she would have asked the BB players? And, do you really think that the BB players would tell her no? I think not – not with her looks, no way. SO…..this is yet another reason I do not believe the HH story.
#1067 GeegLouise,
I spent some time going back and forth looking at the picture of the 9 that OYE posted and the one at the top of the thread. I agree they do not at first look like the same girl but here’s my take: The one above is a different angle, her hair is not straightened and her eyebrows haven’t been waxed. Going back and forth, I checked out face shape and nose shape and I believe they are the same girl. FWIW.
What is happening with the supposed WV sighting, does anyone know?
Blink- parents weekend at JMU was Columbus Day weekend- homecoming was the weekend of the 17th.
Thanks so much for clearing that up. I thought they were synonymous there.
B
Can someone confirm this?
From the findmorgan.com site “In a Geraldo interview Dr. Harrington stated there was footage showing Morgan at the arena until approx 9:30″
Footage at the arena until 9:30? If this is true, at this time, she supposedly was on the bridge and/or in the back parking lots. Certainly, if seen on cameras at the arena, in a crowd of how many people, those cameras couldn’t have caught her all the way across the lot.
Also, Blink, thanks for responding above.
Blink – you are truely an angel to those who need one the most, the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves, and the portal to the answers that the victims loved ones needs so much. God Bless.
TY friend
B
I think Morgans car is an important fact. Since it has been confirmed that it was driven to Charlottesville that day. I would like to know if there was anything in the car that would suggest Morgan at the very least had “intent” to study for that math test.
It would at least suggest Morgans intention of going back home Sunday to study with her dad and that she didnt have any other long term plans. Not to mention that it was stated she did study. Why would anyone lie about that or for that matter even bring it up at the point in time when your friend is missing?
I really believe the purse was not in the parking lot at the time of the concert or even at the time everyone was leaving the concert – someone would have found the purse and/or scattered belongings then. But, the purse wasn’t found until the next morning. With all those poeple, one would think it would have been have been found that night if lost at 9:30 give or take. So….what if she left and actually returned to the arena to meet up with the rest of her group and something happened then before she met up with them? Could she have been walking back from the party, across the lots, much later, place emptied out, and something happened then before she made it to her car/friends?
Also, found what I believe to be a contradiction in the friends statement. If Morgan called Sara as stated, either that is not true or it as Amy and not Morgan who the friends were missing? IF Morgan called Sara to say what was up and that she would find a way home (which I DO NOT BELIEVE), then why would they refer to Morgan as missing, or why wait for her for that matter because, according to Sara, Morgan told her she had a ride home? So, which is it girls? Did Morgan not call to tell you that and she was missing already OR did Morgan in fact call you and tell you she had another ride home and it was Amy you were missing/waiting for?
# Comment by Judi — December 30, 2009 @ 9:45 am
Don’t you think that if she was looking for a ride somewhere that she would have asked the BB players? And, do you really think that the BB players would tell her no? I think not – not with her looks, no way. SO…..this is yet another reason I do not believe the HH story.
Judi — Pure speculation by me but I would suspect the hoops players have been lectured time and again to be smart and not do something like give a ride to a very intoxicated bloody faced girl they don’t know. That is how you get falsely accused of rape. Plus, yes she is a pretty girl — in some pictures a lot more than others — but there are lots of very pretty girls at UVA and the players do just fine in that regard. My guess is she was (1) asking them to sneak her into the arena (they play there) or (2) asking to use their phones or (3) was Xing and thus happy to talk to anyone about anything.
Redly, maybe times have changes in the 20 years I have been out of college. But back in my day (and I knew college football players), you can bet you bottom dollar that they would have driven, partied, etc with a pretty girl, drunk, sober, doesn’t matter. You can lecture kids all you want but they are still young and will do as they please, especially in college where they are experiencing their first tastes of freedom. Yes, they could have any girl and there are a lot of pretty girls, but I personally have seen how college ball players behave at parties and around pretty girls. I’m sure UVA policy is also not to allow underage drinking and advise that if caught doing this illegal activity, could jeopordize your ball career, but that does not stop them from drinking? No….
In college, I knew a girl who had to have an allergy to beer or something because half a beer she was falling over drunk and after a whole can of beer was throwing up/passing oout. BUT, many, many ball players partied with her, repeadetly.
Hello,
In reply to Judy, #1084, 1085, I believe the Geraldo interview was done before everyone was aware of the Dee Spolaric look-a-like situation (ie, the footage was actually of Dee).
Does anyone here follow America’s Most Wanted? I ask because a couple weeks ago, John Walsh did a spot on young women who have been found dead along highways, they are believed to possibly be the victims of a long distance trucker who is also a killer. There is even an FBI task force working on the issue. At the end of the clip, John Walsh mentioned Morgan along with her picture, and stated that she was last seen hitch-hiking. The implication being, I believe, that Morgan is being considered as a possible victim in this case.
Apparently, her proximity to major highways when last seen is a factor in their concern for her. The killer leaves his victims hundreds of miles and states away from where he took them. I don’t want to believe this has anything to do with Morgan, but then I wonder, why did John Walsh bring up her name?
Anyone else watch that segment?
Redly, one last thing. I don’t believe that anyone would advise anyone to turn their back and not to help a young girl, by herself, out of town, cold, wet, and possibly bleeding (LE indicated the injury was minor howver so I doubt she had a “bloody face”). If someone would have helped her that night, maybe we wouldn’t be here today. If if people do advise the young of today to turn their back and not to help someone in need, the future of moral behaviour is bleak.
My husband’s cousin was driving down the road about a year ago and seen someone on the ground getting kicked repeatedly in the head by someone. Know what he did? He stopped the car and pulled over to help! Might have saved the guys life
Excuse the typos – trying to type and work.
SuzeeB #1086 – good point. Friends also state that Morgan was studying in the backseat and that is why she didn’t drive. So, if true, there should be books and such in the backseat, right? Should be easy enough for LE to confirm or dispell.
Also, if the BB players did help a girl in trouble who needed help, what would they get in trouble for? The only way they would get in trouble is if they took advantage of her or something. Heck, if they had helped her that night, they may even be hailed hero’s right now.
Interview With VSP
Morgan’s Dad:
Henry Graff with NBC29 just notified me that he has been granted an interview with VSP that is open to all media. As you may know – in trying to keep the case in the headlines – I requested an interview with state police today.
below is his email to me:
Mr. Harrington,
I hope all is as well as can be. This is Henry Graff with NBC29. As you may know – in trying to keep the case in the headlines – I requested an interview with state police today. It was granted and opened to all media. I was just checking in with you to see if there was anything you wanted to add to the story today or would like for us to put out there on your behalf. Thanks for you time.
Henry
FindMorgan: http://www.findmorgan.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1617
Judi,
In response to your questions…
“Footage at the arena until 9:30? If this is true, at this time, she supposedly was on the bridge and/or in the back parking lots. Certainly, if seen on cameras at the arena, in a crowd of how many people, those cameras couldn’t have caught her all the way across the lot.”
I believe it was the Banks security camaras on the corner of Ivy and Copeley. But this is just pure speculation if there is indeed footage of her at 9:30pm. This would be the only plausible explanation.
Also on your reference to the statements made by the friends…
I wouldn’t believe any of them.
it was said best earlier by ross
Comment by ross — December 30, 2009 @ 2:55 am
jpo: Believe nothing you hear, and only half of what you see. — Mark Twain
Sue, our fearless possee leader, you are correct — somewhat — in Va., if a client confesses to an attorney that they indeed committed murder, under the atty-client privilege the lawyer No. 1) cannot place the deft. on the stand for if the client states he did not commit the crime under oath, while the atty knows client did confess, then the “shield” of atty-client privilege is waived, and the atty must thusly inform the court — if the client is hell bent on taking the stand and saying: I didn’t do it — the atty has a duty to inform the court that the client is testifying against atty advice, and request to be removed as counsel of record.
No. 2) If a client confesses to committing a crime to his atty, the attorney — in Va — must go to the court and
request to be removed from the case, w/out disclosing the reason for the request — if court refuses to remove atty from the case, the atty cannot put forth any defense of the client knowing the client is guilty — in that instance, what the atty can do is approach the prosecutor and try to “deal” for a lesser sentence
No. 3) if a client commits a crime involving a weapon — ie, a gun — and turns the gun over to the atty for “safe keeping” — the lawyer is duty bound to turn the weapon over to LE; however, the atty-client privilege holds that he is not required to state whom his client is, how he became in possession of the weapon. If the client states to his atty, in the presence of anyone other than his spouse, either states: I did it, or turns a weapon over to an atty, then the privilege is waived
You are further 100 % correct in that the “model” for atty representation under the “shield of atty-client” privilege has changed in recent years since I worked in the legal field — I emailed a lawyer buddy from the old days, and he confirmed this is a recent chanage. It used to be if the client told the lawyer, then that info was not “shielded” under the atty-client privilege.
I worked for 20 years w/ one of our areas leading criminal defense attys — he told me he never asked a client: did you do it — he also never allowed a client to tell him if he did it or not — however I was present many times when he represented an accomplis (sp?) trying to make a deal for lesser sentence and I heard many times: Tell ‘em what you know. ie, “I saw Suspect A pull out a gun and shoot the convenience store clerk, grab the cash out of the register then leave the scene and flee” (just an example)
You are further 100 % correct on the future commission of a crime negates the atty-client “shield” —
Thank you for setting the record (and me) straight !!
I declare, if LE would give us some “facts”, w/ the brain power on this forum, we could track down some evidence.
Sue >>Comment by sue — December 29, 2009 @ 11:20 pm
If an attorney knows his client is guilty of murder, or any other crime, the attorney CANNOT break the privilege. It is rare when the privilege is broken.
My client confess to a murder. I cannot ever tell anyone what he has told me. He confesses to a murder and tells me he is going to commit another one… that’s different.
The privilege is only broken if the attorney is told by his client that the client is going to commit a crime. ‘I’m going to kill that guy tonight.’ The attorney has a professional responsibility to go to authorities.
One of the most well known privilege cases.
http://gacriminallawblog.com/2008/04/16/attorney-client-privilege/
Do you believe Morgan was straight or gay?
No boyfriends as stated by Dan Harrington from day one.
No boyfriends have surfaced.
No talk of previous boyfriends
Brother is gay
Everybody is quiet. Is this the secret they are all protecting?
Elizabeth-
I disagree, I am aware of a few boyrfriends, but that does not preclude whether she is gay or not.
B
To Acho: Did I hear from Harrisonbrg po po —
I laughed when I read that — no. I did, however, hear from Martha Stewart who sent me cookie recipes, a company offering to enhance my maleness, grow hair over my bald spot, and earn me thousands of dollars working from home : )
I declined the work from home opportunity because I am — not a joke — the 100,000th visitor to Blink’s site and a WINNER !! : )