The Attorney General’s Office thinks litigation is a game

The Washington State Attorney General’s (AG’s) Office represents state regulatory departments in enforcement actions.  The AG’s office refers to those departments as its “clients.”  It does this in order to act like a private attorney would. However, the AG’s office is itself an organ of the state and so that separation is a fiction.  And the fact that it is used as a rationale to abandon their duty as the public attorney’s office to seek the truth in cases is even more offensive. Time and time again assistant attorney general’s act in ways that are indistinguishable from what a private attorney would do, ignoring their obligation to act in the public good.  They misrepresent material to the court, use the power of the state to strong arm respondents into deals when they know that their case has little or no merit, and frequently withhold material.  They do this because, like many private attorneys, they only care about winning and not at all about justice.If you find yourself in receipt of a letter of investigation or statement of charges, do not believe that you can merely explain the situation to the state.  They take the attitude that you are an adversary and will treat you as such.  As expensive as it might be, consult with an attorney.