Lakeview teen wins fight for 'qualified' lawyer

Chase Morrison, the learning disabled Lakeview teenager charged with a hate crime late last year, recently won his fight to replace his lawyer with someone his advocates consider more qualified to handle the case.

Distrust was at the heart of the 16-year-old’s push to replace his court-appointed counsel, Geoffrey Prime, who was assigned to Morrison after he successfully petitioned the courts to get rid of his first lawyer. Masspequa-based lawyer Gregory LaMarca is now representing him.

Police charged Morrison and two other teens with a hate crime in October 2010 after they allegedly assaulted a 14-year-old boy and hurled anti-gay slurs at him during a bus ride home from a Hicksville BOCES school. Morrison was also indicted on separate robbery charges.

“This victory was a very big and courageous step for a young teen with severe developmental disabilities,” said Cay Fatima, Morrison’s legal advocate. “Indigent defendants have rights, and one of those rights is the right to adequate, honest counsel. … Defendants have the right to know what strategies, motions, notices, requests, communiques and steps attorneys are taking on behalf of their clients.”

Prime, Fatima said, was unable to relate to his client and failed to notify or obtain approval from Morrison or his family members to submit various notices. “This was the final straw, as well as Prime’s attempt to obtain privileged doctor-patient information without authorization,” she said. “This really overstepped the bounds of his attorney privilege.”

With Fatima’s help, Morrison fought just as hard to replace Prime as he did to replace his first lawyer, Christian Browne. Morrison’s family claims Browne irreparably damaged the teenager’s case by failing to obtain witness statements. But they are pleased with LaMarca and feel confident that he will adequately represent Morrison, who is being tried as an adult.