Opinion ID: 2633460
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Issue of Substantial Public Interest

Text: The WSBA also asserts that we should grant review of Count I. It contends that, contrary to the Board's conclusion, Yoder's prior subjective intent to not testify at McCarty's trial is irrelevant to the issue of whether Bonet committed an act of misconduct by offering to dismiss criminal charges against Yoder in exchange for Yoder's agreement to not testify for McCarty. For reasons set forth hereafter, we agree with the WSBA. Accordingly, we grant review of Count I on the basis that the petition involves an issue of substantial public interest that should be determined by the Supreme Court. RLD 7.3(a)(4). The issue of substantial public interest that is presented here is this: may a prosecuting attorney offer an inducement to a defense witness to not testify at a criminal proceeding? More specifically, is it misconduct for a deputy prosecuting attorney to attempt to induce a witness to not testify for a person charged with a crime, even if the offer has no affect on the witness's decision to not testify? This issue is directly presented by the hearing officer's finding, which was adopted by the Board without modification, that Bonet's statement that [w]e have made no offer or inducement to [Yoder] ... in this matter, concerning this trial was a knowing misrepresentation of material fact. Pet. for Review app. C at 10, 11. While the hearing officer did not make a finding that Bonet made an offer or inducement to Yoder to not testify, that fact may be inferred from the Board's adoption of the finding that Bonet engaged in a knowing misrepresentation when he said he had not made an offer or inducement to Yoder to not testify.