Tucker is a disgrace

Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney Steve Tucker’s latest “plea deal” became public knowledge when he refused a judge’s order to appear in her court and explain why a man who fired several bullets into an occupied house, narrowly missing two sleeping children, should have seven felony charges reduced to two misdemeanors. Prosecutors must obey court orders and judges are expected to inquire into the rationale for questionable plea resolutions when the charges are extremely serious and victims’ rights are involved.

Tucker obviously was unwilling to justify such a lenient reduction, which essentially is like flushing this criminal case down the toilet. He even sent a subordinate instead to take the heat, which is unprofessional and despicable.

I’ve said it before and will say it again, Tucker is the criminal defendants’ best friend. He even tried to manipulate a death penalty case in Pierce County in 2001-2002 by testifying he had been given permission to include their case in his global deal to spare Robert Yates the death penalty for 13 Spokane county murders.

The trial judge there did not find Tucker credible. Yates was convicted and sentenced to death for killing two Pierce County women.

Tucker is a disgrace and should resign.

Jim Reierson

Spokane