Seeking Cooperation on Plea Agreement from Crime Victim with Pending Civil Action
Adopted: January 12, 1996
Opinion holds that the lawyer for a defendant in criminal and civil actions arising out of the same event may seek the cooperation of a crime victim on a plea agreement provided the settlement of the victim's civil claim against the defendant is not contingent upon the content of the testimony of the victim or the outcome of the case.
Inquiry:
Attorney A represents Client A who is charged with the crime of discharging a weapon into an occupied automobile. Attorney X represents the occupants of the automobile, Family X, which includes a father, a mother, and two children. Attorney X has advised Attorney A that Family X is seeking compensation from Client A for damages caused by the discharge of the weapon into the automobile. Attorney X did not represent the family at the time of the indictment of Client A and he is not involved in the criminal proceeding.
Attorney A would like to meet with Attorney X to discuss settlement of the claims of Family X in conjunction with a discussion of the cooperation of the family in obtaining a plea agreement or a dismissal of the charges against Client A. May Attorney A and Attorney X discuss cooperation on Client A's criminal charge in conjunction with a discussion of the settlement of the civil claim?
Opinion:
Yes, provided the lawyers do not discuss making the settlement of the family's civil claims contingent upon the content of the testimony of the members of the family or upon the outcome of the case. Rule 7.9(b) states "[a] lawyer shall not pay, offer to pay, or acquiesce in the payment of compensation to a witness contingent upon the content of his or her testimony or the outcome of the case...." The Comment to Rule 7.9 recognizes that "[w]itnesses should always testify truthfully and should be free from any financial inducements that might tempt them to do otherwise."
If no financial inducement is offered to the members of Family X, Attorney A may seek their cooperation on a plea agreement or dismissal of the charges. However, under no circumstances should a resolution of the civil matter result in a witness's refusal to testify or the withholding of factual information from the court. Moreover, the district attorney responsible for the case should be advised of the discussions between Attorney A and Attorney X.