Idaho State Bar v. Dodge

At the time herein relevant, Rule 3.3(a) of the Idaho Rules of Professional Conduct (IRPC) provided, “A lawyer shall not knowingly: (1) make a false statement of material fact or law to a tribunal.” There is no question that Dodge made a false statement of material fact to a tribunal when she told the magistrate judge that Mr. Ford had “pulled a shotgun” on a peace officer. That assertion was admittedly false, and Dodge certainly knew that such assertion was likely to be regarded as important to the magistrate judge when setting bail. The issue is whether the Bar proved by clear and…