STATE OF WASHINGTON
ETHICS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
OPINION NO. 89-6


Question
     Does the answer in Opinion No. 86-14 change if 1) the Board of County
Commissioners, instead of a district court and/or district court judge(s),
contracts for indigent defense services for county district court with a
law firm having a member presently serving on a part-time basis as a judge
of a municipal court in the county; or 2) the district court and judge(s)
had no role in the awarding of the contract and would not be a party to the
contract?


Answer
     Neither the fact that the contract is awarded by the court nor the
fact that the court is not a party to the contract affects the appearance
of impropriety and partiality.