Lindquist: Taxpayers on the hook for judgment

Re: “County must pay in Lindquist case” (TNT, 3-19).

The headline says that Pierce County must pay $118,000 in fines and fees. That is not the correct way to report what happened. What you should have said was that Thurston County Superior Court Judge Gary Tabor fined the taxpayers of Pierce County $118,000. They are the ones who will have to pay for Prosecutor Mark Lindquist’s misconduct.

“County” is an abstraction; it cannot be fined. Only people can be fined. If Lindquist did something for which Glenda Nissen should be compensated, then Lindquist should be liable, not the taxpayers of Pierce County.

In the end it is always people who pay, not states, counties or cities. I wish you would report it correctly so the taxpayers would know exactly what is going on, but I doubt if you will.

This story was originally published March 21, 2016 at 10:57 AM with the headline "Lindquist: Taxpayers on the hook for judgment."