Pierce County prosecutor’s ‘Nancy Grace’ appearance under investigation

The actions of Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist are being investigated after an appearance on “Nancy Grace.”

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The Washington State Bar Association Disciplinary Board ordered a public hearing on alleged misconduct over Lindquist’s appearance on “Nancy Grace” in which he talked about a widely-publicized murder a day before the closing arguments in the trial of Skylar Nemetz, The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Nemetz was charged with first-degree murder after shooting and killing his wife in 2014.

The bar complaint against Lindquist says his actions violated professional standards for prosecutors because the show could have influenced jurors’ decisions.

Lindquist’s attorney, Steven Fogg, had argued for dismissal of the complaint and at most, an advisory letter, The Associated Press reports.

In a separate case, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Chris Lanese ordered Lindquist last week to turn over 19 text messages for a private, in-camera review to determine whether they qualify as public records in a long-running public records fight with a former sheriff’s detective.

Former Deputy Glenda Nissen says Lindquist tried to sabotage her career after she publicly opposed his campaign for office in 2010. She says his text messages will prove it, but Lindquist says his messages are private and unrelated to his public duties.

A ruling on Thursday found that 19 of 153 text messages warrant a legal review in private. The public hearing will play out in 2018 as he campaigns for re-election.