On Friday, April 14, 2023, the Supreme Court of Colorado ordered the suspension of Columbia Attorney H. Morley Swingle due to professional misconduct. The suspension was in response to a stipulation agreed upon by Swingle and the Regulation Counsel to impose reciprocal discipline on Swingle, related to a suspension order from the Missouri Supreme Court.
The case is styled ‘People v. H. Morley Swingle’, case #23PDJ017.
On December 20, 2022, the Supreme Court of Missouri suspended Swingle for three years due to his admission of violating the rules of professional conduct while serving as Boone County prosecutor. Swingle admitted having inappropriate relationships with women connected to the cases he was handling and sent flirtatious text messages to the girlfriend of a victim in a December 2022 killing in Columbia.
In a report by Missouri Lawyer Media, a hearing panel reviewed the matter and recommended that Swingle be suspended from the practice of law for three years for his misconduct. Both Swingle and the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel accepted the recommendation of the disciplinary hearing panel.
The filing states:
“The sanction was premised on Swingle’s failure to avoid personal conflicts of interest through his involvement with and assistance to two separate interested individuals in cases in which he acted as a criminal prosecutor; his failure to make prompt disclosures of his involvement with these individuals; and the prejudice to the administration of justice caused by his improper conduct.”
Based on the foregoing facts, the Colorado Supreme Court entered an order imposing reciprocal discipline as that imposed in Missouri.
Swingle is suspended from the practice of law in Colorado for three years, and the suspension took effect on April 14, 2023. Swingle’s reinstatement is conditioned upon his payment of all the costs and restitution ordered in Missouri, and he must be reinstated in Missouri unless he shows good cause.
Mr. Swingle earned a law degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia, graduating in 1980. He was admitted to the State Bars of Colorado and Missouri. His info can be found on Lawyers.com.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
