A prayer for mercy

Jane Morris fights for care for her jailed husband

By MARY GREENE

NARROWSBURG, NY - Jane Morris has always said that her husband needs medical treatment and not time in a prison cell. Now, a community is backing her up.

William “Chris” Morris has been incarcerated in the Sullivan County Jail since an incident that took place on February 3, 2006. On that night, police showed up at the Route 97 residence where the couple lived after receiving a 911 call from Jane. A 12-hour standoff began, during which time, police say, Morris shot at Deputy Cyrus Barnes with an antique Springfield .45/70 rifle, missing the deputy by inches. The standoff ended with the peaceful surrender of Morris to police.

Jane spent the night at the police barracks, and the next day, shaken and exhausted, she told this reporter about her husband’s troublesome health history. Morris had received several different diagnoses over the past decade and had received medication for being bipolar, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and for a severe case of Lyme disease that, said Jane, had eaten into his brain’s cognitive functioning abilities.

“This man is sick,” said Jane. “He needs hospital care.”

In June of last year, Morris was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of attempted first-degree murder, attempted aggravated assault on a police officer and second-degree criminal use of firearms, all felonies. He was arraigned in Sullivan County Court and since then has been held in the Sullivan County Jail. If convicted, Morris could serve a minimum of 20 years to life.

Attorney Stephan Schick, who is representing Morris, said the prison time that Morris could be facing is “outrageous.” A notice to a psychiatric defense has been filed that Schick said will attempt to show that Morris did not intend to commit murder. “The question of intent” is at the heart of the defense, said Schick.

As a trial date for Morris approaches, Jane is not sitting idle. She is going around the county “with a petition that Chris be put into a hospital and not in prison. He is a sick man. His health is diminishing by the minute.” She cited his current health problems as including high blood pressure, gall stones and prostate problems. “And he’s still not getting any treatment to speak of.”

Whether Morris is receiving adequate care in the Sullivan County Jail is a matter of dispute, but his current medical care is not the issue at trial, said Schick.

“I pray every day for mercy for Chris,” said Jane. “I have gone around this town. Except for one person, everyone I asked has signed this petition.”

Jane will continue her campaign to collect signatures to be presented to Judge Frank LaBuda, canvassing neighborhoods and stores around Sullivan County.