Virginia lawmaker wins election from jail

A Virginia state delegate who resigned his seat due to a sex scandal involving a teenage staff member won a special election to regain his seat on Tuesday and will be sworn in Wednesday for the beginning of the legislative session.

Joseph Morrissey, an independent who previously served as a Democrat, won the special election over Republican Matt Walton and Democrat Kevin Sullivan. Morrissey drew 42 percent of the vote, while Sullivan got 33 percent and Walton got 24 percent, according to unofficial returns.


Morrissey resigned in December after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, rather than face felony charges including possession of child pornography, indecent liberties with a minor and electronic solicitation of a minor.

The Virginia delegate entered the special election for his old seat from jail, campaigning during the daytime while wearing a monitoring device and spending his nights in Henrico county’s Regional Jail East. He is the first Virginia lawmaker to win reelection while serving time in jail, Virginia House of Delegates Clerk G. Paul Nardo confirmed.

Morrissey was indicted in June 2014 for allegedly having sex multiple times with a 17-year-old girl in his law office, in addition to possessing a nude photograph of the minor and sending the photograph to a friend. Police claim to have found the alleged photograph on Morrissey’s phone.

Local police claim to have found the girl at Morrissey’s home in Henrico County, Virginia.

This is not the first time Morrissey has been at the center of a controversy. During a 2013 debate on gun control in the Virginia House of Delegates, he proposed a bill that would have outlawed assault rifles and high-capacity magazines — then pulled an unloaded AK-47 out from under his desk on the chamber floor. The bill did not make it out of subcommittee.

According to a local ABC affiliate, in 2003 Morrissey had his law license revoked after he continued to work with clients despite a suspension for being found in contempt of court 10 separate times. Additionally, court documents show that between 1991 and 2000, Morrissey was incarcerated or forcibly detained for improper conduct five times.

Virginia State House Speaker William Howell, a Republican, said in a statement Tuesday that Morrissey’s election “does not change the fact that his actions fall grievously short of the standards of a public servant in the House of Delegates.”

Democratic leaders disavowed Morrissey and reiterated that he is not a member of their caucus. Howell has said that he and Democrats will look into ways to remove Morrissey from office.

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