Woman Files $10-Million Sex Assault Suit Against Mike Morse; He Says It's 'Bogus'

May 15, 2017, 4:25 PM by  Allan Lengel


Mike Morse

Updated: Monday, 5:45 p.m. -- Southfield attorney Mike Morse issued a statement, calling a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault "bogus." He also accused the woman's attorney, Geoffrey Feiger, of attempting "to extort money from me by the Fieger Law Firm."

"This is also a pathetic attempt to harm my reputation, something the Fieger Law Firm stands to benefit from," Morse said. (Read the full statement at the bottom of article)

Updated: Monday, 7:35 p.m. -- Geoffrey Fieger told Deadline Detroit that Mike Morse's response is silly. He said his client signed a verified complaint with police.

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Southfield attorney Geoffrey Fieger, whose TV ads air regularly, has filed a $10-million case against a competitor -- attorney Mike Morse. He clams Morse molested a Novi woman last month in a back room at a Farmington Hills restaurant, WWJ reports.

The civil suit, filed Monday in Oakland County Circuit Court, names the Southfield lawyer and the owner of Steven Lelli’s Inn on The Green restaurant on Golf Pointe Boulevard. It details the alleged assault. 

Morse and Fieger are among a handful of local attorneys advertising frequently on TV.

The suit alleges the restaurant owner helped cover up the April 6 incident and tried to get the woman to withdraw a criminal complaint to police. (Read the legal filing.)

“She was just there having dinner. . . .She did not know Mr. Morse,” Fieger said at a news conference. “He promoted himself as a famous person who she would like to have a picture with. And that was the guise under which he brought her to a room or an area of the restaurant when he encouraged her to take a selfie; and at that point, as the complaint alleges, began the sexual molestation.”

Specifically, the suit alleges, Morse grabbed the woman’s breasts and asked her if that made the photo better.

She filed a complaint with Farmington Hills Police, Fieger says. The suit claims the woman wore a recording transmitter at detectives' request and in a May 7 meeting got Morse to admit the assault. According to the suit, Morse asked the woman not to pursue the claims against him, saying it would hurt him professionally and personally. 

No criminal charge is filed. "The Farmington Hills Police Department has told the victim they’re completing their investigation and will present it shortly,” Fieger says. 

The department told Deadline Detroit Monday afternoon that "there will be no comment at this time." 

The restaurant owner did not respond immediately to a voice mail.  

Morris issued his statement around 5:10 p.m. Monday at the Royal Oak office of Mitch Ribitwer, his attorney. 

Here's the full statement:  

Good evening.

I called you all here to respond to the shocking, outrageous and completely false allegations leveled against me today by Fieger Law Firm and a woman who approached me to take a photo at a crowded local restaurant.

People approach me take selfies on a regular basis and I thought nothing of it when this woman asked.

But there’s something else important I want to address. This lawsuit is a bogus, manufactured lawsuit and an attempt to extort money from me by the Fieger Law Firm.

Mr. Fieger has told people recently that he is angry with me because a former client of his fired him and hired me and I settled the case for a substantial amount of money in the past few months. There’s a history of Mr. Fieger attempting to disparage me in commercials and his blog posts.

This is also a pathetic attempt to harm my reputation, something the Fieger Law Firm stands to benefit from. I am standing here to tell you there is no truth to these allegations. There are multiple witnesses who were present at the time who observed that I did not touch this woman as alleged.

This lawsuit is complete and utter nonsense and I will vigorously defend myself against these false claims.


Read more:  WWJ


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