Name: Fred Bonner
Title: Judge
Court: Seattle Municipal Court
County: King
Discipline: Admonishment
Method of Resolution: Stipulation
Discipline Date: 08/03/2007
Summary: From an agreed statement of facts, the Commission determined that Seattle Municipal Court Judge Fred Bonner violated Canons 1, 2(A), and 2(B) of the Code of Judicial Conduct by sending a letter on judicial stationary attesting to the good character of a criminal defendant to the judge who was scheduled to sentence that defendant. Absent an official request, a judge may not voluntarily communicate with another judge as a character witness on behalf of a party in a judicial proceeding. Doing so lends the prestige of judicial office for the private benefit of another, may be perceived as an implied request for favorable treatment of a party, and is considered voluntary character witness testimony. Published ethics advisory opinions and judicial conduct case law make clear that judges may not, on their own initiative, write a letter on behalf of a criminal defendant for consideration in sentencing, even if the letter is written on plain paper and the judicial title is not used. Judge Bonner was admonished by the Commission.
Case Documents Available:
Stipulation, Agreement and Order of Admonishment filed 8/3/2007.