Critics Oppose US Atty's Permanent Appointment
Critics of the acting U.S. attorney for Western Washington say his actions in a robbery case make him a poor choice for the permanent job, the Seattle Times reports.
Jeffrey Sullivan, the former prosecutor for Yakima County, was criticized in a 2004 ruling by the state court of appeals for withholding exculpatory evidence in the case. The court said it was “egregious misconduct” for Sullivan to connect a stolen gun to the defendant when he knew of evidence disproving the connection, says the Seattle Times story.
Sullivan says the mistake was due to a clerical error and he was not sanctioned. King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng says the incident needs to be placed in context. Sullivan is “a gifted trial lawyer in the courtroom, a wonderful advocate, a superb manager,” Maleng says.
The Seattle Times also reports that Sullivan has been dogged by other controversies, including his decision to make rape victims take lie detector tests. Sullivan has since said the policy was a mistake.
