The second day of Linda Stanley’s disciplinary hearing saw her No. 2 prosecutor grilled over why the team investigated the presiding judge in the case in the month leading up to trial.

Stanley, who is the sitting 11th Judicial District Attorney until January 2025, is being investigated by the arm of the Colorado Supreme Court that oversees attorney misconduct, mostly in regard to her work on Barry Morphew’s murder trial. She could be disbarred if she is found to have violated ethics rules.

She is accused of professional misconduct. Complaints filed against her claim she spoke too freely with the media, specifically YouTubers, had “continual discovery violations, and was a poor leader.”

The state’s Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel brought the charges against Stanley after it discovered enough evidence to possibly support ethical violations. Complaints were made by a sheriff, a concerned citizen who participated in the search for missing mom Suzanne Morphew, and Morphew’s defense attorney. Another of those complaints was filed by the judge who presided over the case in its final months.

In an earlier interview with The Denver Gazette, former 11th Judicial District Judge Ramsey Lama said of the experience, “It was shocking to me. These were flagrant bullying and retaliatory actions, and I thought the public needed to know.”

During an almost full day of testimony, 11th Judicial District Deputy District Attorney Mark Hurlbert told a different story. He said that in 30 years of practicing law, he had never been treated as poorly as he was by then-Judge Lama. “It was so far beyond the pale that I’ve never seen before,” said Hurlbert.

Lama disallowed domestic violence testimony in the Morphew case, which hinged on domestic abuse as the cornerstone of motive into Suzanne Morphew’s death. It was a ruling that perplexed and frustrated the prosecution team. Lama’s rulings “were so off the mark, it felt like he was biased against the prosecution’s case,” Hurlbert testified.

Responding to rumors and a Change.org petition that implied Lama’s ex-wife was a victim of domestic violence, the prosecution team set out to interview her to see if the accusations were valid.

Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel lawyer Erin Kristofco interviewed Hurlbert about text messages between Hurlbert, Bob Weiner and Stanley as they debated whether to interview Iris Diaz Lama as to whether Ramsey Lama spoke of the case to her or if there was truth to rumors that there was domestic violence in the marriage.

The text messages were read in court.

Stanley — “I think we should but I’m not sure how true it is. It could definitely explain why he hates us so much.”

Bob Weiner — “Holy crap. He should have disclosed this. Yes let’s go after him. We need to confirm ASAP.”

A DA investigator interviewed Iris Diaz Lama two weeks before trial was to start, according to testimony from Tuesday’s hearing. She denied any abuse in her marriage to Ramsey Lama and said there was no conversation between them about Mrs. Morphew’s case.

When Linda Stanley informed Hurlbert that there appeared to be no conflict of interest, he texted “Bummer.”

That response prompted pointed questions by OARC attorney Kristofco. Did that response mean he was disappointed that Diaz Lama had not been abused?

“At this point I was pulling 15 hours days and I have no idea why I said that. I could have said awesome,” said Hurlbert.

Stanley’s attorney Steve Jensen countered that the prosecution’s quest was not outrageous since Diaz Lama was a director of an organization called “Alliance Against Domestic Abuse” and also put up a fundraiser on a social media page for missing person’s network using a photo of Suzanne Morphew to advertise it.

Hurlbert admitted that what started off as an attempt to recuse Lama became a moot point.

A month after former judge Lama dismissed the case without prejudice, he stepped down from the judiciary, citing health reasons.

The term “without prejudice” means that the case can be retried if enough evidence comes in to bring charges.

Suzanne Morphew was reported missing on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2020. Her husband, Barry Morphew, was the last known person to see her alive, according to an arrest affidavit.

The bones of the 49-year-old mother of two were found scattered in a desert brush-studded field in Saguache County by a team of Colorado Bureau of Investigation investigators on Sept. 22, 2022.

The four-year-old case is no longer being prosecuted by Stanley’s 11th Judicial District. It is now being investigated by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the prosecution work is now in the 12th Judicial District of the San Luis Valley, where Morphew’s remains were found.

Hurlbert testified that because of the discovery, the case is “in much better shape” now.

Stanley’s hearing is expected to last two weeks.

The disciplinary hearing is run like a trial with testimony from witnesses called by the OARC and by Stanley’s attorney, except there is no jury and it is overseen by a three-person panel that is allowed to ask questions.

Among the witnesses yet to testify are criminal defense attorney Stan Garnett, former U.S. Attorney John Suthers, Lama and Stanley herself. On Stanley’s witness list is Mike King, host of the “Profiling Evil” video podcast with whom she’s accused of exchanging extra judicial statements.

Once the hearing is over, the three-person panel has at least 56 days to decide whether Stanley will be sanctioned.