Henrico County Commonwealth attorney under fire

Shannon Taylor's intentional disregard for Constitutional rights sets the tone for murder of woman in her home by HPD

When a Commonwealths attorney consistently violates the U.S. Constitution and the rules of court, it sets a tone for the entire justice system to do the same.

HPD officers illegally entered Gay Ellen Plack's home, breaking down three doors until the HPD officers confronted a scared 57 year old woman, who was in fear and was struggling with bi-polar mental illness. Gay Plack confronted the intruders with an axe, in which the HPD officers fatally shot her four times, some shots were in her back.

When the fourth amendment of the U.S. Constitution is respected, the HPD officers would have waited for a warrant and Gay Plack's doctor to enter the home, the outcome would have been far different. No one will never know, as to why Gay Plack was hiding in her bathroom but neighbours and relatives state that she was afraid of the police, for fear of being taken away.

When HPD officers arrived at Gay Plack's home for a "welfare check", there were no signs of forced entry in her home, no signs of a crime being committed or any answer from Gay Plack. The right decision would have been to make the report and leave, as other HPD officers had done in the past.

Gay Plack had never committed an act of violence nor did she have violent tendencies, "kind and gentle" were the description given by neighbours, friends and family members. Gay Plack's only crime was the need to be left alone, not answer her phone or doorbell. 

Plack was an artist who had formerly worked as a nurse in a cardiac care unit and as an instructional assistant at Ridge Elementary School in Henrico.
https://www.richmond.com/news/local/crime/bodycam-footage-of-fatal-shooting-shows-both-henrico-officers-fired/article_9aa05c77-822e-5698-955a-b56a82121ded.html

Henrico CA Shannon Taylor is no stranger to violating the Constitutional rights of citizens, her history of disregarding the foundation of a fair and equal justice system goes as far back as when she was a lawyer in private practice.

In 2011, a Richmond jury found Don Farmer guilty in the beating death of a grandmother and the rape of her 18-year-old granddaughter after DNA tied him to the brutal attack that occurred Oct. 4, 1987, in South Richmond. Farmer was also convicted of robbery and burglary, and sentenced to 125 years for the four crimes.

The claim said his original trial attorney, Shannon L. Taylor, “was constitutionally deficient” because she failed to inform Farmer of a plea offer that would have reduced his sentence to less than a quarter of the prison time.The claim said his original trial attorney, Shannon L. Taylor, “was constitutionally deficient” because she failed to inform Farmer of a plea offer that would have reduced his sentence to less than a quarter of the prison time.

Shannon Taylor admitted in her testimony "Look, I screwed up".
While under the law that might not have been appropriate, the humanity aspect of it, I thought it was the right thing to do.”

Farmer now alleges his imprisonment is unlawful, according to a civil lawsuit filed by his new attorneys.
https://www.richmond.com/news/local/crime/two-top-richmond-area-prosecutors-butt-heads-over--year/article_1f84a3de-aaf9-547e-ba89-1e654229a208.html

In a more recent pending case involving an international fugitive, who was allegedly the "hub of a 600 kilo cocaine distribution organisation in Richmond". 

Henrico CA Shannon Taylor is under investigation by the FBI for allegedly taking bribes, funnelled through campaign contributions, in order to not to extradite the fugitive and deny his transportation back to Virginia. Despite the seriousness of thirteen grand jury indictments for allegedly distributing cocaine, Shannon Taylor continues to violate the fugitive's right of due process, as if she is intentionally sabotaging the Commonwealth's case.
https://virginiastatebarcorruption.blogspot.com/2019/04/henrico-county-commonwealth-attorney.html?showComment=1568689117867#c7252859661686496756 

A former Richmond mayoral candidate Joseph D. Morrissey has filed a lawsuit alleging that two Richmond defense attorneys, the Henrico County’s commonwealth’s attorney Shannon Taylor and the Richmond Times-Dispatch conspired to “completely and utterly destroy” his bid in last year’s election.

The pending lawsuit could cost Henrico County tax payers up to $10,000,000 in damages. 

https://www.richmond.com/news/local/joe-morrissey-suit-says-prominent-defense-attorneys-henrico-s-top/article_415dc035-69bd-590e-a77e-72610963d55d.html

Ironically enough, Shannon Taylor sits on the Virginia State Bar ethics counsel and decides the fate of erring attorneys. Numerous complaints against Shannon Taylor had been filed with the Virginia State Bar but they are always buried.