Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer spoke to a gathering of area Boy Scouts in Centralia last week about the importance of taking the right path.
He was quick to note that the correct way of doing things is not always the easiest way.
That’s when, without speaking her name, he first told the story of Toni Nelson, an East Lewis County woman beloved and admired by many for her tireless volunteer efforts and cancer survival.
Unfortunately, as he had learned a week or two before, Nelson had also lied while providing testimony as an expert witness for the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office. It was a revelation that could impact the outcomes of dozens of cases, many of which were focused on men accused of sexual crimes.
“We were advised that we only need to tell the people that this person testified against … but that’s not the standard we expect,” Meyer told the Boy Scouts.
Instead, the prosecutor reached out to all courts in Lewis County, the Washington State Court of Appeals and the state Supreme Court, informing them that his office is attempting to compile all cases where her false testimony may have been a factor.
As Meyer noted, it’s likely that the outcomes of the cases were not changed by Nelson’s untruthful claims about her qualifications as an expert witness.
The point, though, is that it’s not his job to substitute his opinion for that of the juries, as he told The Chronicle Monday.
It’s an apparent testament to Meyer’s character that he elected to speak publicly of the matter rather than keep it under wraps or speak of it only in law and justice circles.
“We presented perjured testimony,” Meyer said.
It’s worth noting that is a figurative “we.”
All of the testimony in question was delivered prior to his election to the Prosecutor’s Office in 2010.
Overall, the matter has been handled well. Meyer did not publicly announce the issue via a press release, but he was certainly willing to provide a full explanation to The Chronicle after his talk with local Boy Scouts.
At this juncture, it would be prudent to examine the process in which the Prosecutor’s Office vettes and presents expert witnesses during trials. It’s likely Meyer has already placed the process under more intense scrutiny.
Nelson’s actions are painful for many to contemplate. It’s difficult to imagine why she felt the need to lie. The only certainty is that she did more harm than good in doing so.
We’re thankful Meyer chose to shine light on the matter, not because it was easy, but because it was the right thing to do.
