Crime

Fieger Plays Tape of Mike Morse Talking to Woman About Alleged Groping Incident

August 22, 2017, 9:50 PM

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Attorney Mike Morse (Facebook photo)

Update, 9:30 p.m. Tuesday: Attorney Geoffrey Fieger played a recording Tuesday at a press conference of his client, Renee Swain, talking to attorney Mike Morse. She has accused Morse of groping her at a Farmington Hills restaurant in April. She's suing for $10 million.

Fieger calls the tape a confession from a "serial sexual attacker," but Morse's attorney calls it "a general apology for a nonevent," and added that the conversation ended with a hug, Ann Zaniewski of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Swain of Novi recorded the conversation with a wire provided by the Farmington Hills Police after she reported the alleged incident. Tuesday's press conference was at Fieger's Southfield office.

In the taping, according to the Freep, Morse apologizes and tells Swain he'd like to take back the incident if he could. He said he was shocked to hear about the allegations. 

"To be really honest, I've never been accused of anything like this, or done anything like this. And I was mortified. ... It's not me," he said.

When Swain asked if Morse remembered what happened, he said he remembers pulling her aside one second for a picture. 

“I’m not denying anything. I believe you," Morse said, to which Swain responded: “I want you to know that it made me feel really bad. ... You made me feel like a whore."

He apologized, but said he didn't even know what happened.

Update, 4:26 p.m. Tuesday: Attorney Geoffrey Fieger,  the consummate entertainer, will put on a show at his office Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

At that time,  Fieger plans to play for reporters an undercover recording he says has Morse "confessing and apologizing for his sexual attack" on a woman who is now suing him, Ann Zaniewski of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Fieger represents Renee Swain of Novi, the first of five women to have come forward to accuse Morse of making unwanted physical advances. She claims she was groped in a Farmington Hills restaurant.

The prosecutor's office on Monday declined to file charges, saying the case was best resolved in the "civil arena."

Watch the press conference at freep.com.

Original article, Tuesday morning: 

Southfield attorney Mike Morse, whose TV commercials emphasize his ability to win, has won this round.

The Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office in Flint announced Monday that it won't be bring criminal charges against Morse in connection with allegations he groped a woman at a Farmington Hills restaurant, JC Reindl of the Detroit Free Press report. 

“Our office has done a thorough evaluation of the law and the facts presented to us in the police investigation and have determined the case is better suited for the civil arena," Prosecutor David Leyton said in a news release. "As such, we will not be issuing criminal charges. We admire the courage of the victim in this case to come forward in such difficult circumstances."

Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper had recused her office in the case because Morse hosted a campaign fundraiser for her last year at this office.

Renee Swain of Novi was the first of five women to come forward this spring to claim in civil lawsuits that Morse made unwanted advances at the restaurant. Attorney Geoffrey Fieger has represented all five. Morse denies the allegations.

Two of the civil cases have since gone to private arbitration; another was dismissed in Michigan and refiled in Florida, the Freep reports. 

Morse's attorney Deborah Gordon tells the Freep that the woman's allegations didn't have much credence and she suspects the civil case won't go anywhere, as well.

She added that she believes Morse will prevail in all five civil cases.

“There is nothing to them at all," she tells the Freep. "This is all about something that Geoff Fieger has against Mike Morse."


Read more:  Detroit Free Press


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