Virginia Legislator/Inmate Votes for Porn in Prison

LOS ANGELES—In Virginia, a lawmaker sentenced to jail for sex with an underage female can still vote on legislative matters, even if those matters are indirectly related to the lawmaker's infraction. Sounds kooky, but that's apparently how it works in the "Old Dominion." According to the Associated Press, "[Delegate] Joe Morrissey voted Wednesday against a bill that would prohibit inmates from possessing obscene material." That's not technically correct, however. The measure involved keeping porn from inmates, and had nothing to do with obscenity per se. Hardcore pornography, unlike material ruled to be obscene by a judge or jury, is legal. Of course, inmates are often denied access to legal material, which was the outcome of yesterday's vote.   "The bill passed by a broad majority and its sponsor said the state's wardens support the measure so that they can keep 'hard-core' pornography out of the hands of inmates," reported the AP. The wire added, "[Morrisey] was sentenced to six months in jail for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He is on a work-release program that allows him to spend his days in the General Assembly and his nights in jail." Morrisey's legal troubles may not be over, either. The Washington Post reported late last month that the Democrat-turned-Independent is facing new charges related to the earlier charges. "Authorities allege that Morrissey, 57, submitted a forged document as evidence and lied under oath in his earlier case, in which he was accused of having sex with a 17-year-old receptionist at his law office. Morrissey has denied all charges against him, including the new ones," reported the paper on Jan. 21. "Wednesday’s news rippled through a legislature already weary of Morrissey’s long history of legal skirmishes, starting 20 years ago with a courthouse fistfight. It raised anew the possibility of sanctions or expulsion from the House, where his colleagues expressed chagrin at the continuing drama and said they were considering their options." But expulsion is also old news for Morrisey, who, under pressure from Governor Terry McAuliffe and Democrat leaders, resigned his seat in December of last year. Undeterred, he ran for the same seat in the ensuing special election... and won. That's some crazy shit going on in a state that declared its independence from the British Empire on May 15, 1776. Looks like some Virginians are determined to remain stubbornly independent! Image: Virginia State House