| Description: |
Tyler M. Morris (WSBA No. 26190, admitted 1996), of Walla Walla, was disbarred, effective April 8, 2008, by order of the Washington State Supreme Court following approval of a stipulation. This discipline is based on conduct involving soliciting and accepting bribes. Tyler M. Morris is to be distinguished from James Tyler Moore of Walla Walla.
At all relevant times, Mr. Morris was employed as an assistant city prosecutor for the City of Kennewick, which operated a recreation program (Home Base) that provided a place for teens to go after school. The City of Kennewick and the City Attorney’s Office permitted persons charged with misdemeanor criminal offenses and civil infractions to make donations to Home Base to have their cases dismissed or their charges significantly reduced. On more than one occasion between approximately January 1, 2005, and March 1, 2006, Mr. Morris, in his official capacity as an assistant city attorney, corruptly accepted and agreed to accept money from a defense attorney. Mr. Morris agreed to accept the money from the defense attorney intending to be influenced or rewarded in connection with the reduction or dismissal of charges against the defense attorney’s clients in Benton County District Court. Mr. Morris asserts that he has no personal knowledge as to where the money he received from the defense attorney came from, or as to the intentions of the defense attorney or his clients as to where the money would be deposited. According to the plea agreement Mr. Morris signed on September 11, 2007, the money came from the defense attorney’s clients and was intended by the clients to be donated to Home Base operated by the City of Kennewick. Mr. Morris retained the money he received from the defense attorney for his personal use. It was not donated to Home Base.
The value of the series of transactions involving payment of money to Mr. Morris from the defense attorney for the reduction or dismissal of charges during the relevant time period exceeded $5,000. The precise amount has yet to be judicially determined. In December 2006, Mr. Morris was charged by indictment with violating several federal statutes in connection with the facts set forth above. On September 11, 2007, Mr. Morris pleaded guilty to violating 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(B) (soliciting a bribe), which is a felony.
Mr. Morris’s conduct violated former RPC 8.4(b), prohibiting a lawyer from committing a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other respects; and former RPC 8.4(i), prohibiting a lawyer from committing any act involving moral turpitude, or corruption, or which reflects disregard for the rule of law, whether the same constitutes a felony or misdemeanor or not.
Joanne S. Abelson represented the Bar Association. Mr. Morris represented himself. |