Morris In the News

December 11, 2014: “Public defender: I could get indictments in Garner, Brown cases.” Appearance on MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.

Attorney Seth Morris has been quoted by multiple area publications and news channels for his defense of Mary Fong Lau, an 80-year-old San Francisco woman charged with four counts of vehicular manslaughter. She was charged after prosecutors accused her of driving at speeds of up to 70 mph on a West Portal Street before she hit a bus shelter where a family was waiting for a bus to the San Francisco Zoo.

Lau changed her plea of not guilty to one of no contest — that means she doesn’t admit guilt in her case, but she is waiving her right to a trial. The court will sentence her as if she was guilty. The judge ruling on Lau’s case indicated he will most likely decline to impose a prison sentence. Seth Morris provided a statement and said the case has been defined by tragedy, his client had a stellar criminal record, and she has lived with lifelong grief herself. He added that Lau is remorseful and irrevocably altered by the tragedy.

See the full stories here:

Driver in Deadly SF West Portal Bus Stop Crash Will Likely Avoid Jail Time, Pleads No Contest — KRON4

80-Year-Old Driver Who Killed SF Family Unlikely to Face Prison Time — ABC7

Oct. 3, 2025: Seth represented 72-year-old Oakland resident John Cvar, who was released from jail while facing charges in a fatal shooting stemming from a dispute with an alleged squatter. In court filings, Seth emphasized that Cvar, a lifelong caretaker with no criminal record, acted to protect himself and his brother during a violent confrontation inside their late mother’s home.

August 25, 2025 – Seth Morris is quoted in a Pleasanton Weekly article stating that his client acted lawfully and in self-defense during a Pleasanton shooting. He has since been released on bail.

June 30, 2025: Seth’s court record statements reflecting the issues with the co-defendant’s statements towards his client in a murder trial are mentioned in an article about the plea deal accepted by his client.

Aug. 7, 2025: Seth defended a client in a Pleasanton attempted murder case, emphasizing that the client was acting in lawful self-defense against repeated threats and violent aggression, with strong community support highlighting his good character.

Feb. 2, 2025: Seth explains how his approach to strategic courtroom defense protected his client from a lifetime in prison, giving his client the opportunity to return to society after he serves his sentence.

April 1, 2022: Seth’s court record statements reflecting his belief in his client’s lawful use of self-defense are mentioned in an article about a plea deal recently accepted by the client.

April 22, 2016: NBC Bay Area interviewed Seth in a special investigation report on local police’s use and misuse of body cameras. Part 2 of 2.

Feb 11, 2016: NBC Bay Area interviewed Seth in a special investigation report on local police’s use and misuse of body cameras. Part 1 of 2