The Kansas Supreme Court has issued a disbarment order for Terra Morehead, a former Wyandotte County prosecutor and retired assistant U.S. attorney in Kansas who has been accused of multiple ethical breaches.
Morehead stands accused of collaborating with former Kansas City, Kansas Police Department detective, Roger Golubski, in a scheme to falsely incriminate Lamonte McIntyre for a double homicide. McIntyre, who was wrongfully convicted as a teenager almost three decades ago, was ultimately exonerated in 2017.
Morehead made the decision to surrender her law license voluntarily after reaching an agreement with the Kansas Attorney Disciplinary System.
The Department of Justice conducted an investigative report that could have been significant in ongoing disciplinary proceedings. As a result, the decision was made to take it into consideration.
A federal judge in the first complaint concluded that Morehead violated the defendant’s Sixth Amendment rights, leading to the vacation of criminal convictions and dismissal of the indictment with prejudice. In the second case, Morehead faced sentencing by a federal judge as a result of misconduct.
The Kansas Office of the Disciplinary Administration revealed that both complaints were linked to Morehead’s tenure as an assistant U.S. attorney.
If a formal hearing had taken place in either case, it would have become evident that Morehead had violated multiple state rules of professional conduct.
Lamonte McIntyre, the man who spent 23 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, has finally seen some justice. In a surprising turn of events, former prosecutor, Jackie Lacey, has surrendered her law license. This comes after McIntyre’s exoneration and his subsequent lawsuit against Lacey and other officials involved in his wrongful conviction. McIntyre’s case has been a glaring example of the flaws in the criminal justice system, and this recent development further highlights the need for accountability and reform.