Virginia lawmaker gives no fricks

To the right stands former Virginia delegate Joe Morrissey, 57, a Democrat running for a Virginia state Senate seat as an Independent after Democratic Party officials rejected his attempt to seek office. Joining Morrissey are his 19-year-old receptionist, Myrna Pride, and their 9-week-old son Chase, a child Morrissey publicly acknowledged as his son for the first time Wednesday.

While a biracial family's antebellum-themed photo may raise eyebrows under any circumstances, this one carries additional meaning. On Wednesday, Morrissey told a Richmond radio show audience that Chase was conceived when Pride was 18. Last year, Morrissey pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor in connection with his relationship with Pride — while she was 17 — but denied the original charges. Prosecutors initially charged Morrissey with multiple felonies, alleging that he had sex with Pride while a minor and shared nude photos of her.

In December, Morrissey agreed to a plea deal on a misdemeanor charge in which he admitted no guilt and avoided conviction on the felony charges.

He agreed to serve a six-month jail term that was reduced to a 90-day work-release sentence. Morrissey resigned from the House as a Democrat and later declared himself an independent candidate for his old seat. After easily winning back his seat, he left office this year to run for state Senate.