Opinion ID: 852075
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Disputed Facts Regarding Respondent's Alleged Statements.

Text: Count 1. In Respondent's answer to the paragraph of the Commission's verified complaint setting forth the statements alleged in Count 1, Respondent stated he was without sufficient knowledge to admit or deny the allegation. Respondent testified that he did not recall making at least some of the specific statements alleged, and the hearing officer found that Respondent's public comments were misquoted in the media on a number of occasions. We defer to the hearing officer's conclusion that the Commission did not meet the demanding clear and convincing evidence standard that Respondent made the statements alleged in Count 1. For future guidance, however, the Court will address below the hearing officer's conclusions that the statements, if made, did not violate the rules charged. Count 2. The underlying facts relating to this count are, for the most part, undisputed. There is no dispute regarding the contents of the official press release at issue, and Respondent accepts responsibility for the content of all communications made by his staff and attorneys acting under his direction while he was serving as prosecutor. The primary factual issue is the extent to which those statements, if improper, were substantially likely to cause prejudice to the criminal defendants and/or to an adjudicative proceeding. After examining the results of jury questionnaires and other evidence, the hearing officer found that pre-trial publicity did not actually place Stewart or Turner in grave peril and it did not actually affect the trial court's ability to select unbiased jurors. Hearing Officer's Report at 14. We accept these findings that no actual prejudice resulted from Respondent's statements. For the reasons below, however, we do not agree with his finding that there was insufficient evidence to prove a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of Turner and Stewart or of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding.