Judge Lee Harris had Close Relationship with Child Rapist Parents and Failed to Disclose at Trial
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Judge Lee A. Harris Jr., knowing he has a close relationship with John W. Gibbs Jr. and Martha C. Gibbs, violated the Judicial Canons of Virginia and presided over David R. Gibbs criminal case.
David R. Gibbs of 11232 Fanwood Court, Richmond, Va., was indicted by a grand jury on May 16, 2022, on two counts of forcible sodomy on a child less than 13 years old, violating Va. Code §18.2-67.1 and two counts of carnal knowledge of a child 13-14 years old violating Va. Code §18.2-63. The offenses occurred between February 2018 through December 2020. The grand jury indictments list the victim as a close family member of David R. Gibbs and that he was the victim’s uncle and grandchild of John W. Gibbs Jr. and Martha C. Gibbs.
John W. Gibbs, a retired lawyer, and Martha Gibbs, socialized closely together with Judge Lee Harris and his wife Christina M. Harris. The Gibbs and Harris are both members of the exclusive Country Club of Virginia and attended numerous events together.
John and Martha Gibbs used their social status to influence Judge Lee Harris, persuading him to dismiss with prejudice the four felony indictments of sexual assault that their son David Gibbs was charged with against their grandson.
On December 15, 2022, Judge Lee Harris rejected the Commonwealth's Motion for Nolle Prosequi and demanded the charges be dismissed with prejudice, which Judge Lee Harris granted the Defendants Motion to Dismiss with Prejudice on December 22, 2022 and released David Gibbs.
The trial was scheduled for two days on January 10-11, 2023, but an unpredicted early motion on December 22, 2022, by the Commonwealth Attorney Shannon Taylor, who suspiciously moved for Judge Lee A. Harris to dismiss the four counts without hearing any evidence in the case or the testimony of witnesses.
Henrico Police records show that David Randolph Gibbs had failed the polygraph test given to him and that HPD Detectives stated that they did not doubt that the victim was telling the truth. Child Protective Services (CPS) have classified sexual assaults as Founded Level One, the highest level. Although CPS supported the victim’s claims which were disclosed to CPS during intensive therapy in a group home evaluation, CPS filed complaints with the HPD sometime in June 2021. CPS reports stated that Gibbs threatened to kill the minor if he ever told anyone; despite the threats, Gibbs was not charged by the HPD.
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