It’s hard to believe that this story, getting attention across the nation, is happening in my backyard. I first heard about it when Attorney Chris Herion (pictured above) posted a rather lengthy message on a local listserve describing the whole ordeal he encountered in the course of representing clients charged with DUIs. What he discovered was that prosecutors were making deals with clients to treat their cases more favorably if they paid a “donation” to certain “charities” designated by the prosecutors. This practice was apparently carried out in open court, with allegations that envelopes of cash were passed to prosecutors right under the judge’s nose. The local judge who oversaw several of the cases claims to have been unaware of the practice and has made a statement deploring the practice.

To no one’s surprise, some of the money that was intended to go to “charity” has turned up missing. Two attorneys are now under investigation by the FBI. But wait, the case gets even more bizarre. Local prosecutors around the state seem to be divided on the propriety of the practice. Yes, you read that right: some prosecutors are actually defending this “Pay to Play” form of justice. While most respected prosecutors have categorically rejected the practice, check out what Richland City Prosecutor Ray Hui — who has taken in $178,000 for his City in the last 26 months — has to say about it:

There’s no statute that says you can offer a donation for a crime. There’s no statute that says you can’t.

How’s that for moral clarity? And just to be clear about his motivation, he continues:

If there are jurisdictions out there not doing it, they’re losing money.

I wonder if the residents of Richland would be pleased to know that criminal defendants in their city are able to avoid responsibility by paying cash into the city coffers?

Kennewick City attorney John Ziobro, one of the leading proponents of the practice, is quoted as saying “donations are a way to give deserving people a break”. I’d like to know exactly how these people are “more deserving”. Because they have money? Is there any way to interpret that statement in a favorable light?

Now that the whole stinking mess has come to light, you can bet that anyone near this system is going to run and hide while issuing statements dripping with righteous indignation. Reminds me of the scene in Casablanca when Captain Renault states “I’m shocked, shocked to find that there is gambling going on here!”, while his winnings are brought to him.

Read the whole sordid story here.

RP

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 16th, 2006 at 9:58 am and is filed under News, DUI, You Won't Believe This. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.