On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, The Denver Post reported that 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley took the stand to defend herself against professional misconduct allegations during a disciplinary hearing in Denver. Stanley is facing seven counts of violating rules of professional conduct related to her prosecution of the high-profile Barry Morphew murder case.
If found guilty of misconduct, Stanley could lose her license to practice law. The allegations center around inappropriate comments Stanley made to the media and on a true crime YouTube show during the Morphew case. She is also accused of failing to properly oversee her office and attempting to retaliate against the judge in the Morphew trial.
At the hearing, Stanley denied the accusations. She maintained her appearance on the “Profiling Evil” YouTube show was not an implication that Morphew was guilty or evil. Stanley argued comments she later posted on the YouTube video were in a personal capacity, not as district attorney. However, the presiding lawyer questioned if Stanley thought she could say anything in defense of the case by identifying as a private citizen rather than a prosecutor.
Stanley led the prosecution against Barry Morphew for the alleged murder of his wife Suzanne in 2021. However, her office dropped all charges in 2022 after being sanctioned for discovery violations. Barry Morphew has maintained his innocence throughout. At the disciplinary hearing, opposing lawyers blamed Stanley’s poor leadership for the failed prosecution.
In her testimony, Stanley disputed this by saying she did not need to formally appoint a lead prosecutor. She said the prosecution team understood their roles and responsibilities.
The three-member hearing board will now review all evidence to determine if misconduct occurred and what sanctions may be imposed against Stanley. A written ruling is expected at a later date. The high-profile nature of the Morphew case has brought intense scrutiny to Stanley’s conduct as district attorney.
Source: The Denver Post
