Suzanne Morphew case: District attorney faces misconduct complaint

DENVER (KDVR) — The district attorney who initially filed charges in the Suzanne Morphew case will have to defend herself against a new complaint that alleges misconduct in how she handled it and another case regarding an infant’s death.

The complaint, which was filed Monday, claims 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley launched an investigation into a judge who ruled against prosecutors in the case of Barry Morphew, who was charged with murder in wife Suzanne’s disappearance. It also takes issue with public comments she made about both cases, including to true crime podcasters and the local news media.

The complaint was filed with the Office of the Presiding Disciplinary Judge, who is appointed by the chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, a judicial department spokesperson told FOX31.

FOX31 reached out to Stanley’s office for comment and was still waiting Tuesday night to hear back.

DA goes on true crime podcasts, joins the comments

Stanley’s office charged Barry Morphew with murder in the 2020 disappearance of his wife, Suzanne, whose body had not been found at the time.

As the case progressed, Stanley exchanged text messages with true crime podcasters, appeared on their shows about the Morphew investigation and engaged publicly with commenters, according to the complaint. That led in part to the case having to change venue. It also claims Stanley’s office did not follow evidence and witness disclosure rules required by the court.

The complaint also claims Stanley decided to investigate the judge in the case, who issued a series of rulings against prosecutors. The investigation included a decision to interview the presiding judge’s ex-wife to see if he ever abused her.

According to the complaint, that decision was made after one of the true crime podcasters claimed in a petition that the judge was “an advocate of Suzanne Morphew and victims of Domestic abuse.”

Another case cited in the complaint involved alleged child abuse in the death of a 10-month-old, in which the district attorney’s comments got “more brazen,” according to the document. Stanley spoke with a local television station about the defendant, claiming he “had zero investment” in the child and was staying with the baby “so he can get laid.”

The complaint makes seven claims, citing the following court rules of professional conduct:

A Lawyer Shall Act with Reasonable Diligence and Promptness
Pretrial Publicity
Prosecutor’s Extrajudicial Comments
Responsibilities of Supervisory Lawyer
Attempt to Violate the Rules of Professional Conduct and Conduct Prejudicial to the
Administration of Justice
Pretrial Publicity
Prosecutor’s Extrajudicial Comments

Court proceedings had not been scheduled as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Colorado Judicial Department spokesperson.

Earlier this year, Barry Morphew filed a complaint against Stanley and other prosecutors in the case after his murder charges were dismissed. Suzanne Morphew’s remains were found in September, but no new case has been filed against anyone since.

She also was suspended in 2022 for missing a legal education deadline.