Benton County deputy prosecutor arrested New Year’s Day for allegedly damaging neighbor’s car

RICHLAND – A Benton County deputy prosecutor was arrested for allegedly damaging a car early New Year’s Day.

Joshua Lilly, 50, was booked into the Benton County Jail by Richland police about 3 a.m. after he allegedly damaged a neighbor’s vehicle during an argument, according to public records and Prosecutor Eric Eisinger.

The Richland city prosecutor is handling Lilly’s case, and he is charged under a city criminal code. The charge, destruction of property, is a gross misdemeanor and can carry up to a year in jail.

Lilly was released on a $1,000 bond about two hours later.

Details about what happened have not been released. The Tri-City Herald has contacted both Richland police and Benton County District Court to get information about the case.

Lilly’s attorney Deric Orr told the Herald in an email that Lilly denies committing any crime, and has cooperated with police.

“Sadly, despite the nature of the alleged offense, law enforcement chose to use their discretion and arrest Mr. Lilly,” Orr said. “We fully expect him to be acquitted of any wrongdoing at the conclusion of this case.”

He is scheduled to appear in Benton County District Court on Jan. 24.

Lilly is one of about 17 attorneys working in the Benton County prosecutor’s felony division. He took the position in May 2018, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He also held a spot as a Benton County District Court judge pro tem for nearly two years between 2015 and 2017.

Lilly continues to work at the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office, Eisinger said. Members of the prosecutor’s management team met shortly after they learned about the arrest.

Eisinger met with the deputy Thursday morning to talk about what happened. Lilly worked in the office on Thursday rather than return to court to handle cases.

The team is reviewing the information from the Richland police investigation to try and determine what steps are appropriate while waiting for the outcome of the criminal case.

“This is far from ideal,” Eisinger said. “The case is still pending. … It’s not a good thing when you have a fellow prosecutor arrested. We want to make sure that we handle his employment properly.”