By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
We previously reported HERE the bizarre case of Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Marriya Wright who was charged with Rendering Criminal Assistance in the First Degree after a relationship she had with a wanted felon. She was alleged to have assisted him escape justice. Yet, after he was located and incarcerated, Marriya continued her correspondence through multiple visits and even provided him a bikini photo of herself. The relationship ultimately cost Marriya her job and led to criminal charges.
Felon Matthew Baumrucker described a “Cinderella Story” of a relationship between a couple from the opposite side of the tracks and the law.
But this Cinderella story did not have a fairytale ending. To avoid being tried by her peers, or more accurately, prosecuted by her peers, Marriya pleaded guilty to Rendering Criminal Assistance.
For review, during the time when Matthew was a fugitive from justice, Spokane Police detectives allege that Marriya and Matthew exchanged over 1,200 text messages during his run from the law. He had an outstanding arrest warrant for drug possession and was wanted for investigation in an assault case.
Documents revealed that during the time that Matthew was wanted, witnesses stated he contacted Marriya asking for help in avoiding arrest. Security video showed two, who investigators believe is Marriya and Matthew, in her red SUV during the time he was wanted by authorities. Records showed she gave Matthew and one of his friends a ride to a trailer in the Spokane Valley. Witnesses told detectives they heard Marriya tell Matthew to “take care of his warrants,” but they say Marriya never made an attempt to turn him over to police according to court documents.
Once authorities located and arrested Matthew, Marriya seemed to not be able to resist staying in touch.
Jail staff became suspicious when Marriya visited Matthew ten times within a month and at one point she furnished him with a photo showing her in a bikini.
These career limiting trysts culminated in a Spokane courtroom where she pleaded guilty. Facing the possibility of jail time, Marriya asked the court to consider her actions in that they were misguided and actually stemmed from her desire to help a fellow person. She stated this was a one-time incident reflecting her belief that Matthew could be rehabilitated.
She informed the court that her faith taught her not to judge people by their appearance, especially those it would seem who have the word “Criminal” tattooed across their forehead.
Her peers recommended one year of probation with no jail time. The court ruled that Marriya should have followed a higher standard of professionalism and sentenced her to probation with sixty hours community service and a fine. Her employment with the county was terminated and there is a strong possibility she will face a disciplinary hearing before the state bar association.
By Darren Smith
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Marriya is a very disturbed young women with several issues that need counseling.
What issues, DBQ? I see a pretty woman, smart enough to graduate from law school, who simply cannot tell right from wrong where her self-interest is involved. Nothing more than that. Classic sociopathic behavior.
Beldar here: Still here in New Orleans awaiting my Remulak flight to Beijing. Then it will be Germany. My Planet Remulak is searching for a partner to side with on Planet Earth and it aint gonna be America with all the Boko Harum stuff. The kids here (Asian, Black, White and Bi Polar) got together and dubbed this Sharpton guy as AL Qaeda Sharptone. I think it fits. When I was in Ferguson this week I went to the burned out stores and talked. It would be easy for the New York Times to have a photographer simply drive down West Florissant and take a photo of each looted and/or burned to the ground store. Instead they posted the street address of the house where the Officer and his wife live! Meanwhile you have some guy in DC named Boner calling for an investigation of Ben Gazi. Not Ferguson. Just goes to show. Ok Remulak: Beam Me Up Scotty! I am soon off to China and then Germany. We need a nation state with a strong economy and no bigots. The Krauts got over it in WWII. Merkel is a queen.
Marriya is a very disturbed young women with several issues that need counseling. Raised by narcissistic mother and mentally (at least) abusive father she has a lot of self esteem issues and a mindset where she wants to be the hero or savior.
Anyone else, not a lawyer, would be in jail right now.
paul c. shulte wrote, “I am trying to imagine the conjugal visit for Charlie Manson and his bride.”
as was pointed out by the associated press, when it first broke the story, under california law, prisoners who have no parole date are not entitled to family (i.e., conjugal) visits. manson, now 83, will not have a parole date for at least another 13 years.
Off topic. But Big AL Boko Harum Sharptongue is ramping up his terrorists to burn more small businesses and loot. Loot first and ask questions later. All in the name of dead guy. This is coming to a theatre near you. We need a Presidential candidate and a political party who will take on the terrorists and call a spade a spade. No more welfare, no more Section 8 housing, no more housing projects, no more food stamps and no more Michael Browns with their user mom’s, step dads and seed dads. We need a Revolution. Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders are needed NOW!
Marriya is going to have tough competition challenges in those female bodybuilder contests she enters.
FYI, reinstated NFL football star Ray Rice would have gotten the beating of his life in that casino elevator with one of these women. Guys, watch out and keep a lawyers business card handy.
Who can really explain why some women are drawn to bad boys, in general, not necessarily just convicted felons? Beats me.
Jeffrey Dahmer’s heart wanted to eat other hearts.
Ah, the Woody Allen defense.
Ah, sweet mystery of love.
The heart wants what the heart wants.
She disappointed that Charles Manson already has a fiancé.
I am trying to imagine the conjugal visit for Charlie Manson and his bride.
She thought it was Wuthering Heights, but forgot that Heathcliff didn’t have tattoos on his face.
Just goes to show you; there’s a lid for every pot
I never cease to be amazed at how many lawyers can keep practicing when they are proven crooks. We have the case in California where an illegal who is not even a citizen and who is not even supposed to be here was admitted to the CA bar. So why punish this poor woman for simply being in LUV? She is just following her heart.
randyjet – is she is LUV or is she in LUST?
How sad. I wonder if she will continue to try to have a relationship with him, and if he will lose interest now that she is not in a position of use to him. She may lose her license to practice law over this. What if she’d done this in a divorce case, “fallen for” her client’s ex-husband and worked for the other side?
@Paul: You made my day.
Another good follow-up on an interesting story. Darren, one typo, last paragraph, first sentence, should be “one” year of probation.
The sentence seems appropriate. She should also be disbarred. A person cannot so this stuff and be an officer of the court.
After working in corrections for many years, nothing shocks me anymore. I’ve seen more than one career ruined by staff who gave in to “human nature” and crossed the line.
Reblogged this on YouViewed/Editorial.
I think every prosecutor should be required to give a bikini shot to every person they convict, male or female. A bikini shot of Nancy Grace would be enough to keep you on the straight and narrow for years.