Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *Case dismissed w/o Prejudice* #101

[al66pine]

Judge Lama Stepping Down. dbm New post below

 

[girlhasnoname]

BREAKING: Judge Ramsey Lama has resigned from the bench, citing health reasons. Lama was the judge #BarryMorphew 's now-dismissed murder trial. The trial was scheduled to start yesterday had it not been dismissed without prejudice. Story to come.

https://twitter.com/carolamckinley/status/1520112450762199040?s=21&t=_77fmWFsDI75iiYnURggDw


https://twitter.com/carolamckinley/status/1520113232710569984?s=21&t=_77fmWFsDI75iiYnURggDw
The case was dismissed without prejudice April 19 after the prosecution said the lack of a body, or even proof that #SuzanneMorphew is dead, hampered their case. If refiled, defense could argue that this was an attempt to start over with a new judge.

Well now, that evens the playing field hopefully.

 

[al66pine]

Judge Lama Stepping Down. Timing?

Judge who would have presided over Morphew trial resigns

@MassGuy Thanks for link to the Gazette article. Robert McCallum, in Office of State Court Administrator, said in email:
"About a year ago, Judge Lama began to consider stepping down from the bench. Prior to making his announcement at that time, Judge Lama was assigned a number of murder cases... and agreed to see those cases through..."
"When People v. Barry Morphew was reassigned... Judge Lama agreed to take that case and intended to make it one of his last assignments on the bench."* bbm

When was case moved to Fremont County w'in 11th Dist? Edited per correction offered by @Diddian. TYVM Diddian.And TYVM to @Seattle1. Always on the ball.

Faced w the state's motion to dismiss w'out prejudice, if the judge had already planned to step down after BM's trial, hmmm?
Could that particular timing have tipped the scale a bit in favor of granting the motion?

(BTW, in 2013 he suffered a serious injury & underwent extensive med. treatment.**)
________________________
* Judge who would have presided over Morphew trial resigns
**Aug 2013, while mtn biking on Monarch Crest Trail, Lama, seriously injured in a fall, was rescued by Chaffee County Search and Rescue, was airlifted to Lakewood/Denver area hosp (~ 130 mi, 2 1/2 hr drive on US 285, of course, quicker by chopper). He suffered a broken C2 vertebra and damaged the carotid artery in his neck. Yikes.
"Lama will be in a neck brace for the next 3 months and will undergo treatment on his damaged artery for at least 6 months."
Double Yikes.
Fundraiser will benefit Ramsey Lama Sept. 2013 article

 

[Seattle1]

Judge who would have presided over Morphew trial resigns

[ ]

If the prosecution decides to refile the case, it will go to the judge who is next in the rotation, said Jon Sarche, a spokesman for the State Court Administrator's Office. Still to be determined is whether a second attempt at trial would be held in Chaffee County where it was originally filed or in Fremont County where it was moved after Lama was appointed to preside over the case when Judge Patrick Murphy recused himself in early January.

[ ]

IMO, the spokesperson seems to have forgotten that not only did Judge Murphy recuse himself, but the defense won the motion for a new venue and that is why the case was moved to Fremont County.

I agree with the other prosecutor cited in another article that the venue for refiling the charges would most likely be in Fremont County. What happens after filing in Fremont is subject to other motions. MOO

 

[Diddian]

Judge Lama Stepping Down.
@MassGuy Thanks for link to the Gazette article. Robert McCallum, in Office of State Court Administrator, said
in email:
"About a year ago, Judge Lama began to consider stepping down from the bench. Prior to making his announcement at that time, Judge Lama was assigned a number of murder cases... and agreed to see those cases through..."
"When People v. Barry Morphew was reassigned... Judge Lama agreed to take that case and intended to make it one of his last assignments on the bench."*

When was case moved to 11th Dist?

Faced w the state's motion to dismiss w'out prejudice, if the judge had already planned to step down after BM's trial, hmmm?
Could that particular timing tip the scale a bit in favor of granting the motion?

(BTW, in 2013 he suffered a serious injury & underwent extensive med. treatment.**)
________________________
* Judge who would have presided over Morphew trial resigns
**Aug 2013, while mtn biking on Monarch Crest Trail, Lama, seriously injured in a fall, was rescued by Chaffee County Search and Rescue, was airlifted to Lakewood/Denver area hosp (~ 130 mi, 2 1/2 hr drive on US 285, of course, quicker by chopper). He suffered a broken C2 vertebra and damaged the carotid artery in his neck. Yikes.
"Lama will be in a neck brace for the next 3 months and will undergo treatment on his damaged artery for at least 6 months."
Double Yikes.
Fundraiser will benefit Ramsey Lama Sept. 2013 article

The case has always been in the 11th Judicial District. After Judge Lama ordered a change of venue (this was after Lama was appointed to preside over the case when Judge Murphy issued an order disqualifying himself in response to defense's motion that he must do so), it was moved to FREMONT COUNTY from CHAFFEE COUNTY. Both are within the 11th Judicial District.

 

[Seattle1]

When was case moved to 11th Dist?

^^rsbm

The case was never moved to the 11th Judicial District.

It originated in the 11th Judicial District and remains in the 11th which includes: Chaffee County, Custer County, Fremont County, and Park County.

When the defense was granted a change in venue, the case moved to Fremont County (same District).

 

[al66pine]

The case has always been in the 11th Judicial District....moved to FREMONT COUNTY from CHAFFEE COUNTY. Both are within the 11th Judicial District.

@Diddian Thank you very much for pointing this^ out. And esp'ly so quickly that I could correct my post.

And same thank you to @Seattle1.

 

[Seattle1]

Hmm, well is he now free to officially join the E&N firm??

He can dream!

 

[Diddian]

@Diddian Thank you very much for pointing this^ out. And esp'ly so quickly that I could correct my post.

You're welcome.

As you can see, @Seattle1 did too and that poster always writes much more succinctly than I do!

 

[girlhasnoname]

I just can't see it happening that soon, even if her body is recovered in the near future.

It would take time to reassemble the case, tie up loose ends, and plan a prosecution strategy. The last thing they'd want is to repeat the same mistakes.

@MassGuy I know, maybe wishful thinking on my part. I'd like to hope the State is shoring up their case even now without the body. How crazy that Lama is has resigned?! This case has had some real twists to say the least.

 

[LandManatee]

Didn't we learn that, prior to being arrested (and possibly in preparation for leaving the area if not the country), BM took his Beloved Bobcat back to Indiana? Has he had time to go get it or might he be doing that now since the dismissal? MOO

MOO IMO

I just wanted to point out that in the Live Chat section of LS’s last YT Live, several people mentioned that BM was already spotted back in Indiana.

 

[ar3593]

And I wonder what might happen if an adoring member of Barry's circle accidentally betrayed a slight doubt of him?

Exactly, which is why his daughters have no choice but support him..especially now. I would be scared to death.. One slight or wrong move, one of them could be disappeared too!

JMO..

 

[tmar]

I have zero interest in hearing Iris on Good Morning America unless she brings her client with her and his lips unzip.

With BM's unzipped lips, more lies to incriminate him down the track.
Hope that happens.

 

[Seattle1]

I wonder what would happen if the prosecution decided SD was no longer a witness to be called? That would eliminate the conflict that led to Judge M's disqualification.

IMO, the defense will never eliminate SD from the witness list so I don't think we will ever have the opportunity to know the answer to this question!

 

[GatorFL]

Several WSers have posted on this recently, so it might be worth your while to review earlier posts on this thread.

Federal criminal jurisdiction is not an area with which I am familiar. However, I know generally that murder is a Federal crime if it violates U.S. law or happens while violating U.S. law. Murders on Federal property and some other locations are also treated as Federal crimes. Any murder that involves crossing state lines for the purposes of criminal activity is likely to be assigned to a federal prosecutor.

In my view, the likelihood that SM's remains were disposed of on Federal land is so high that a Federal investigation and prosecution is appropriate and warranted.

If the community gets behind the need for Federal action to assure that they don't become a place where wealthy residents can kill with impunity, it's more likely that the Feds will take up the case. It would be helpful if SM's family in Indiana called for a Federal investigation and prosecution of BM.

Further investigation by the FBI will undoubtedly be necessary, but in the long run the prosecutorial resources and expertise of the Federal government will be essential if this complex, expert-dependent case is to be presented effectively. Even if I were confident that the 11th JD could develop this expertise (and I'm not), Judge L's rulings make the DA's involvement in a future prosecution problematic IMO.

The theory is she was killed at the family home, not on Federal land. I don't think a U.S. Attorney can bring charges that her body was disposed of on Federal land unless they have a body. And if they find a body, murder charges will be far more important than where the body was found. IMO, the chances of a U.S. Attorney bringing charges in this case are very slim.

 

[GatorFL]

Well now, that evens the playing field hopefully.

Only when Linda Stanley is no longer involved will the field be leveled, IMO.

 

[TIGER0822]

"Hi y'all, this is my new girlfriend. I can't mourn forever, and it's time to move on. She's like a gift from God. Met her at a dumpster... one man's trash, uhh..she even looks like Suzanne, doesn't she?"

very funny!

 

[TIGER0822]

What we know is, that the great Bare fired her after she “disobeyed” and gave LE her phone. We also know that she told Lauren that she was afraid of him. That’s enough for me!

-She was with BM Saturday morning at the construction site
-His truck was heard outside her house about 4.30am Sunday .. why? Why? Why?
-He called her a couple of hours later to cobble together a crew for the wall.
-BM ‘friends’ assailed her and handed her an envelope, they told her ‘it could look like hush money’ if they paid her…. Very interesting
-They threatened her not to hand over her phone… why?
She has a lot of information BM does not want LE to know. Hope she cooperated fully. She stated ‘mostly’ why?

She would have been an amazing witness. To stand look BM in the eye and spill everything she knows.

 

[TIGER0822]

Well now, that evens the playing field hopefully.

Shame it was not before he hatched the trial.

 

[TIGER0822]

Wouldn't this be violating something? A conflict of interest? Defending him after being a judge on the case could make decisions he made before questionable.. I mean they already were questionable, but really hinky if he then went on to defend Barry.

Doubt BM can afford another lawyer!