Woman won’t back out of her plea agreement

Erica D. Johnson

Thursday, Oct. 10, 2002 | 9:54 a.m.

A Las Vegas woman serving five years' probation for a fatal car accident decided not to ask to back out of her plea agreement Wednesday.

Karen Morris had filed a petition to withdraw her guilty plea, arguing she was on medication when she signed it. She was afraid, her attorney Herb Sachs said, that the criminal record would jeopardize her real estate license.

But on Wednesday Sachs told District Judge Nancy Saitta he was withdrawing the motion while Morris awaits an appearance next month in front of the state licensing board, which will determine whether Morris' license will be revoked.

"I always thought we could have possibly beaten the case," Sachs said. "But I was concerned because she faces this state Licensing Board hearing. I don't think they will revoke her license because of the nature of the case."

Morris pleaded guilty to three counts of reckless driving. Sachs said if the board revokes Morris' license, he might consider re-entering the motion.

Police say Morris was traveling 20 miles over the speed limit and talking on a cell phone March 25, 2001, when she ran two red lights and struck another vehicle, killing Leona Greif, 61 and Marcia Nathans, 65.

In addition to probation, Morris was ordered to spend 26 weekends in jail and perform more than 1,000 hours of community service.

Family members of Leona Greif, who was also an area real estate agent, were in the courtroom Wednesday. They said Morris has called them and writing letters of apology.

"She wants us to say we forgive her," Harriet Cohen, Greif's sister, said. "I'm very angry. She was very irresponsible. I certainly can't forgive her."

Greif's son Mitchell said he found irony in Wednesday's hearing.

"This was all about her wanting to keep her real estate license," he said. "But the day she killed my mother, she took my mother's real estate license."