WA: no more bribes for bargains

From the Tri-Cities Herald:

Prosecutors: New WA law prevents troubling out-of-court deals

Local prosecutors are praising a new law that bans out-of-court deals for criminal defendants like ones that got a city prosecutor and contract defense attorney in trouble last year. Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the legislation that bars payments by criminal defendants to charitable causes in hopes of having charges reduced or their cases dismissed. The law takes effect July 22. "This is a very good thing," Franklin County Prosecutor Steve Lowe said...

See also Governor puts stop to dollars for deals

The Herald's reports about Kennewick's missing donations from defendants -- which were intended for the city's Home Base youth program -- resulted in federal criminal charges being filed against former city attorney Tyler Morris and former contract public defender Jeffrey Finney...

WA: big trouble for lawyers behind Kennewick plea bargain scam

From the Tri-City Herald:

2 ex-attorneys indicted in dollars-for-deals case

A federal grand jury indicted two former Tri-City attorneys Tuesday for their alleged roles in a scheme that allowed clients to pay their way out of charges they faced in Benton County District Court.

Former Assistant City Attorney Tyler M. Morris and Jeff Finney were indicted on charges stemming from their alleged participation in arranging out-of-court payments and diverting up to $50,000 to their own pockets.

From KNDU:

Two attorneys charged with public corruption

The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington is calling it public corruption. His office alleges Tyler Morris, an assistant prosecutor for the City of Kennewick and Jeff Finney, a defense attorney, were in cahoots and were pocketing money from Finney's clients. It's alleged Morris asked for cash donations from Finney in exchange for his clients to have reduced or dismissed cases...

WA: hotter than 10,000 suns

Greetings from Richland, WA, from the people who brought you the atom bomb, where yesterday it was 112 degrees. Yes, in the shade.

Next door is Kennewick, WA, home of the famous "Kennewick Man" and the somewhat less well-known "Kennewick Prosecutor." From NPR:

Buying Leniency: Small-Scale and Widespread

In the criminal courts of Kennewick and Richland, in eastern Washington, people arrested for offenses such as drunk driving could routinely get a lenient sentence by contributing money to prosecutors' favorite charities. The practice came under criticism recently when money donated in Kennewick, Wash., went missing.

But similar arrangements may be widespread; a prominent defense lawyer... calls it the "dirty little secret" of criminal courts in America...

Here at the northwesternmost reach of Zion, you can sense palpably the shift into a different cultural orbit. In a few minutes I'm off to cross the Idaho frontier, for which I've been preparing myself mentally, spiritually, and passive-aggressively. A happy Pioneer Day to those of my legal colleagues who might be celebrating the Days of '47 today.

WA: charges vs. lawyer to be dismissed

Tri-Cities criminal defense lawyer Jim Egan was charged with obstructing a police officer for his actions inside the Kennewick, WA jail on August 4, 2005.

This week a judge accepted a prosecutor's promise to dismiss the charge with prejudice in six months, on the condition that Egan not commit any new related crime, with the judge, not the prosecutor, deciding if a new crime has been committed. The one condition placed upon Egan was that he apologize:

"I apologize to everyone to whom I was obnoxious on August 4, 2005, at the Kennewick police station. I do not apologize for attempting to let my client know that he had help in the lobby. I was hired by my client's parents to represent their 18-year-old who was being questioned about a double homicide of which he was innocent. I knew that if he ended up being charged he could face the death penalty, so I felt I had to be a zealous as possible to let him know that he was not alone. However, as a lawyer I pride myself on professional behavior and it is never professional to be obnoxious, no matter what the situation."

Eagan was represented by attorneys Todd Harms, Jeff Robinson and Sheryl Gordon McCloud.

WA: lawyer charged for trying to reach client

Kennewick, WA authorities have filed a misdemeanor charge against defense attorney Jim Egan for his attempts to contact a client during a double homicide investigation.

Egan, a longtime Tri-Cities attorney, is charged with obstructing a police officer. He has pleaded not guilty in Benton County District Court.

"I don't think I'm guilty of anything," Egan said. Attorney Todd Harms is representing Egan.

WA: lawyer arrested while trying to reach client

In the Tri-Cities, a longtime Kennewick defense attorney was arrested when he tried to stop police from questioning his client about a double homicide.

Read that again: "when he tried to stop police from questioning his client."

Jim Egan said he was arrested, handcuffed and booked into the Benton County jail on charges he obstructed a police officer.

Egan said he was hired Thursday to represent Cameron O. Jones, 18...

Egan said he called the jail and was told Jones was in the custody of Kennewick police. But when he called the police department, Egan said he was told they would not tell him Jones' location.

When Egan arrived at the police station in downtown Kennewick a short time later, Sgt. Randy Maynard and Deputy Prosecutor Scott Johnson told Egan he had no right to see Jones because Jones had not asked to speak with him.

As Maynard and Johnson opened a door to return to a secure area of the station, Egan said he began yelling, "Cameron Jones, Cameron Jones, your lawyer is here."

Egan said he yelled several times before Maynard arrested him, handcuffed his arms behind his back and had him taken to jail. Egan said he was searched, fingerprinted, photographed and then released without posting bail pending a court appearance...

Egan said he plans to fight the obstruction charge and possibly sue for false arrest.

Bonus link goes to Bad Cop, No Donut!