Joseph Morrissey

Joseph Morrissey

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The Virginia Court of Appeals has dismissed prosecutors’ efforts to retry a felony case against a former Virginia state lawmaker who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in a sex scandal involving a teenager. The court upheld Tuesday an earlier dismissal of four felony counts accusing ex-Virginia Del. Joseph D. Morrissey of fabricating court documents. The appeals court said it lacked the authority to review the immunity provisions that were part of the plea deal Morrissey signed in December. A Henrico County judge also dismissed perjury charges in June against the mother of the young woman. Morrissey, who fathered a child with the young woman and said he intends to marry her, recently dropped out of a state Senate contest for health reasons.