County executive frets over prosecutor’s outside legal fees: $683,000 and counting

[unhappycamper]

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/09/28/3402669/county-executive-frets-over-prosecutors.html?sp=/99/296/331/

County executive frets over prosecutor’s outside legal fees: $683,000 and counting
By Sean Robinson
Staff writer
September 28, 2014

Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy is worried about rising legal bills from outside attorneys paid by prosecutor Mark Lindquist’s office, according to public records obtained by The News Tribune.

This year, the bills exceed $683,000 paid to outside attorneys at taxpayer expense. Running average through September: $76,000 per month. The figures appear in billings compiled by the county’s risk management division, and the costs continue to mount.

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An email exchange between the two elected officials and a subsequent face-to-face meeting last month underscored McCarthy’s concerns about the escalating legal bills.

The biggest chunk of money comes from a long-running legal battle over Lindquist’s personal cellphone records. The case rang up $253,449 in outside attorney fees this year. A second case, linked to a retired sheriff’s deputy seeking a hearing to clear his name, has triggered $248,334 in outside attorney fees.