Dublin attorney arrested for allowing jailed client to use cellphone

A local attorney was arrested by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office last week for allowing a client to use a cell phone while in the Laurens County Jail last week.

Attorney Courtney Morgan, 32, of Dublin, was charged Thursday, June 20, with obtaining, procuring or giving an inmate a prohibited item without authorization. She was released on a $7,000 property bond.

On Saturday, Laurens County Sheriff Larry Dean reacted to social media responses, saying the “false statements made regarding the arrest of Ms. Morgan need to be corrected.” 

Dean said in a statement that deputies did not actively seek to serve a warrant at her home, nor did they consider using any form of force, let alone deadly force. He wrote that there was no intention to surprise or embarrass Morgan, and she was not going to be arrested in front of her children. 

“The charges against Ms. Morgan are not fabricated and are not motivated by retaliation or personal grievances,” Dean wrote. “She is presumed innocent until proven guilty and has the right to defend herself in court.” 

Morgan’s husband claimed in a social media post that sheriff’s deputies “entertained the idea” of arresting his wife at home in front of her children “in the cover of darkness,” prepared to use “deadly force.” He also claimed she was subjected to a strip search and cavity search.

Dean said the circumstances of Morgan’s arrest were misrepresented. He said deputies approached her at the courthouse and asked her to walk to the basement, where the charges were explained. 

“She was not arrested in a public setting or in front of others,” Dean wrote. “The deputies handled the situation respectfully, and Ms. Morgan cooperated without issues. Following the booking process and court appearance, she was granted bond and released from custody.” 

The sheriff acknowledged Morgan’s standing as an attorney and citizen, but wrote that it was important to address the fact that her actions violated the law and led to her charges. 

“Nobody, including legal professionals, is exempt from following laws and regulations,” Dean wrote. “The comments disparaging the actions of the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and law enforcement are unfounded and misleading. The deputies and jail staff are commended for their dedicated work, and it is crucial to set the record straight on the handling of arrests.”

Dean wanted to address this issue so that “the public is not misled by false narratives that serve a particular agenda.”

“Law enforcement officers are bound by protocols and orders, including arrest warrants and judicial decisions,” he wrote. “The priority remains on fulfilling duties faithfully and ensuring the safety and well-being of the community.” 

Courtney Morgan, who operates Morgan Law Firm LLC in Dublin, posted on social media Sunday to thank supporters and urging them, “Please don’t let my trauma be forgotten.” She also posted court documents  from March that show one of her clients, John Bankhead, was found not guilty of aggravated battery and obstruction of an officer for allegedly breaking the finger of a sheriff’s deputy.