In Too Deep

The Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board has publicly reprimanded without terms an attorney for a conflict of interest while employed as a public defender

While employed as a Senior Assistant Public Defender with the CPD, Respondent represented DW from August 2022 to January 2024. During her representation of DW, Respondent was in romantic relationship with DW. On January 31, 2024, the CPD terminated Respondent’s employment when the Chesterfield County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office learned of the relationship and notified CPD of Jurgens’ romantic relationship with DW. As a result, DW’s case was continued in Chesterfield County Circuit Court (“Circuit Court”) from March 2024 to July 2024.

Respondent represented DW on two grand larceny charges and one misdemeanor identity theft charge in Chesterfield County General District Court. An agreement was reached to certify one count of grand larceny/auto to Circuit Court.

 On August 16, 2022, the Circuit Court appointed Respondent as counsel to represent DW on the grand larceny/auto charge. DW was incarcerated throughout most of Respondent’s representation of him. DW also had addiction and substance abuse issues.

By the summer of 2023, Respondent had developed feelings for DW.

Respondent believed, throughout the representation, that DW’s charges would be resolved very quickly after his release from jail in December 2023.

While she negotiated a plea agreement

On August 25, 2023, Respondent states she presented the plea agreement to the Circuit Court in such a way that the Circuit Court would reject it.

Then

In one of many calls between Respondent and DW on Christmas Eve 2023, DW asked Respondent when she realized that she “wanted to know him more.” Respondent responded that “she never fixed a plea agreement like she did for him.” She also stated that earlier in her representation ofDW (July 2023), she had consulted with her supervisor at the CPD, a co-deputy, about another potential conflict of interest which might cause her to withdraw as counsel for DW. Her supervisor told her to “get the ball rolling on withdrawing.” Respondent told her supervisor that she did not want to get out if she did not have to. Respondent then refused to identify DW to her supervisor after her supervisor requested the name of the client. The supervisor instructed Respondent to transfer the case to another attorney. Respondent replied that she did not want to transfer the case, started crying, and walked away. Respondent admitted that was her “first clue that she was in too deep with [DW].”

Respondent had 138 calls with DW between the dates of December I and 26, 2023. She concedes that most of those calls had nothing to do with the legal representation.

During Respondent’s representation ofDW, she sent money to associates of DW so that other inmates could purchase items for DW. She also sent money directly to DW while he was incarcerated. The Riverside Regional Jail no longer allows Respondent to visit clients.

They moved in together after his release; she purchased a car for his use

In January 2024, DW told a Chesterfield County Police Officer that DW and Jurgens were in a personal relationship.

On January 30, 2024, Chesterfield County Police arrested two individuals who were in the car titled to Respondent. They found drug paraphernalia, a gun, and love letters from DW to Respondent.

The police informed the Chesterfield Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, which in turn notified the CPD which fired Respondent on January 31, 2024.

(Mike Frisch)