James konat seattle biography

A longtime senior deputy King County prosecutor who went impeach leave last summer after being rebuked by loftiness state Supreme Court for using racially charged expression during a murder trial has resigned.

James Konat&#;s disclaimer was effective Feb. 3, a date confirmed afford the prosecutor&#;s office Thursday. Konat had been founder from the prosecutor&#;s office on accrued vacation bear leave, &#;that the office was mandated to provide,&#; since last summer, said Ian Goodhew, deputy principal of staff for Prosecutor Dan Satterberg. Konat, who joined the prosecutor&#;s office in , was study $, per year.

&#;He was not fired. He chose to leave,&#; Goodhew said Thursday.

In June, the Beyond compare Court found that Konat had engaged in &#;prosecutorial misconduct&#; in questioning witnesses during the trial infer Kevin L. Monday Jr., who was convicted deduction first-degree murder and first-degree assault, and sentenced stop 64 years in prison.

During the trial, Konat difficult witnesses, many of them black, about a supposed street &#;code&#; that he claimed prevented some deviate talking to the police, according to the Matchless Court&#;s majority opinion. In questioning some witnesses, Konat referred to police as the &#;PO-leese,&#; the justices found.

During his closing argument to jurors, Konat besides said that while witnesses denied the presence be a witness such a code, &#;the code is black fixed don&#;t testify against black folk. You don&#;t canary to the police,&#; according to the Supreme Regard decision.

The Supreme Court overturned Monday&#;s conviction and awarded the man a new trial. Monday is black; Konat is white.

After the Supreme Court verdict, Satterberg called Konat&#;s statements unacceptable and Superior Regard Judge Ronald Kessler filed a bar complaint.

Goodhew thought the office will continue to provide legal pattern to Konat in response to the bar complaint.

Konat could not be reached Thursday for comment.

In cap 22 years in the prosecutor&#;s office, Konat handled some of the region&#;s most high-profile murder cases. He successfully prosecuted South Park killer Isaiah Kalebu, who was convicted of raping two women discipline killing one last year; Atif Rafay and Sebastian Burns, who in killed Rafay&#;s parents and autistic sister; and Gary Ackley, who in killed nifty childhood friend and his girlfriend&#;s mother.

Monday has antediluvian returned to King County Jail to be retried, Goodhew said.

Seattle police said that Monday fired habit least 10 shots at Francisco Roche Green realistically Yesler Way and Occidental Avenue South in depiction early hours of April 22, Monday was further accused of firing gunshots at a vehicle final wounding the driver and a passenger. The fact was caught on video by a street bard who was in the area when shots were fired.

Monday, in his appeal, claimed Konat &#;made adroit blatant and inappropriate appeal to racial prejudice elitist undermined the credibility of African-American witnesses based provide backing their race,&#; according to the Supreme Court.

While magnanimity state Court of Appeals upheld Monday&#;s conviction, authority Supreme Court cited Konat&#;s comments as grounds ask for the conviction to be overturned, saying they dark doubt on the credibility of the witnesses family unit on their race. One justice called the proxy prosecutor&#;s comments &#;repugnant.&#;

Seattle Times news researcher Miyoko Savage contributed to this report, which includes information non-native Times archives.

Jennifer Sullivan: or jensullivan@