This Letter to the Editor was printed in The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington) on 8/18/97, authored by lawyer Larry J. Couture, partner in Tuell & Couture, P.S. with David R. Tuell Jr., a partner before 1993 with Grant L. Anderson in their firm of Tuell, Anderson, Fisher, & Koppe, that secretly received $125,000 in "management fees" and in various other ways exploited the Hoffman Estate.

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        This letter is in response to the allegations against Judge Grant Anderson (TNT, 8-5). As a practicing attorney, I have an ongoing interest in a strong, independent and ethical judiciary.  However, these allegations put forward by the Judicial Conduct Commission seem to be nothing more than some effort to justify its existence.
        First, why are they even involved in conduct which occurred before Grant Anderson was a judge?  Surely if there was a violation of ethical conduct it occurred when Judge Anderson was in private practice.
        Second, why has it not been mentioned that these same allegations have already been investigated by the Washington State Bar Association disciplinary committee, the Pierce County prosecutor's office and the Washington state attorney general's office?  Do we need a fourth organization investigating the same thing?
        While the Washington state bar does not spend tax money, the other two are using our taxes.  Now another agency of state government is spending tax money.  The other three entities found that Judge Anderson did nothing wrong.  I would expect this investigation will end in the same conclusion, but at what cost to both Judge Anderson or to the taxpayer?
        Enough is enough.  The matter should be dismissed and the issues laid to rest once and for  all.

Larry J. Couture, Tacoma