Advisory Opinion: 1514

Year Issued: 1993

RPC(s): RPC 4.1

Subject: Providing falsified judgment and sentence orders for incarcerated sex offenders

The Committee reviewed your inquiry concerning the propriety of providing falsified judgments and sentences for persons imprisoned for sex offenses. The Committee was of the unanimous opinion that, however well-intentioned, creating such a fraudulent document would violate RPC 4.1 which prohibits the making of a false statement of material fact or law to a third person. The Committee determined that it was beyond its scope to also consider whether criminal law violations might be committed by such conduct, but noted that to the extent it might, that would also violate RPC 8.4.

Advisory Opinions are provided for the education of the Bar and reflect the opinion of the Committee on Professional Ethics (CPE) or its predecessors. Advisory Opinions are provided pursuant to the authorization granted by the Board of Governors, but are not individually approved by the Board and do not reflect the official position of the Bar association. Laws other than the Washington State Rules of Professional Conduct may apply to the inquiry. The Committee's answer does not include or opine about any other applicable law other than the meaning of the Rules of Professional Conduct.