Prosecutor Transferred in Boat Deal : Conflict Possibility Cited by D. A.’s Office in Announcing Shift

Orange County’s leading drug prosecutor is being transferred to another position because of the appearance of a conflict of interest caused by his joint purchase of a 34-foot pleasure boat with a prominent attorney who specializes in drug cases.

Assistant Dist. Atty. Edgar A. Freeman said Wednesday that the purchase by William L. Evans, who heads the district attorney’s special narcotics enforcement team, created the appearance of a conflict due to Evans’ and defense attorney James D. Riddet’s “respective positions.”

“We were dealing with appearances,” Freeman said, adding that the office “had no concern” that the joint venture compromised Evans.

Cocaine Case

About a week after Riddet and Evans bought the boat, Riddet became a defense attorney in a case involving the largest seizure of cocaine in California’s history. One of Evans’ deputies is prosecuting that case, in which 1,700 pounds of the drug were seized.

Freeman said that the “current case is pure happenstance” but that it illustrates the potential for the appearance of a conflict of interest. Freeman described the transfer as a lateral move, adding that it has not yet been determined what Evans’ new duties will be.

Evans said he is not disturbed by the transfer from the enforcement team, which handles major drug cases prosecuted in Orange County and works in conjunction with local police agencies.

Concerns Noted

“I don’t view this as any kind of a controversy, whatsoever,” said Evans, who has headed the nine-deputy special team of drug prosecutors for about two years. “But concerns have been expressed by the people I work for (about) the appearance of a conflict.

“I certainly don’t want somebody to misinterpret some outside activities by me as a loss of confidence in vigorous prosecution. It doesn’t bother me that they feel they need to move me. I can appreciate their concern.”

Meanwhile, Riddet said: “I’m sure nobody thinks this actually is a conflict of interest in any way. They are trying to avoid any possibility of an appearance that would look improper.”

Riddet said he and Evans have known each other for at least 10 years.

“We have always talked about boats when we’ve seen each other,” the defense attorney said. “(But) we have never been close social friends. This opportunity (to buy the boat) came up and we decided to go for it.”

Riddet added that “it never occurred to me” that the purchase would pose a problem.

“I knew that if we bought the boat together, Bill would never handle any of my cases because that’s the kind of guy he is.

“I don’t think it’s up to me to judge.” But, he added, “I can’t say if I was in management’s position that I might not feel the same.”

‘Very Fine Lawyers’

Freeman praised both men, saying Riddet is a criminal defense attorney “with significant emphasis in the area of representing those accused of narcotic trafficking. They are both very fine lawyers, and Riddet is a very fine criminal defense lawyer.”

Evans said he and Riddet had been looking for some time for a boat like the one they bought, which he described as “a trawler-style pleasure boat. Neither one of us has time for full-time ownership.”

He declined to say how much the two had paid for the boat, other than to say that “it wasn’t . . . outrageously expensive.”

The boat purchase preceded the filing of the state’s largest cocaine case, in which 10 defendants were arraigned April 8 in North Orange County Municipal Court.

“Lo and behold, within seven days (of buying the boat) here’s a case . . . the first (time) in a long, long time that Riddet’s had a local case,” Evans said. “It’s one of those odd freaks of nature that occurs.”

Request Made

Freeman said: “We asked (Evans) if he could disengage himself from the thing; find other possible investors with him.”

However, Evans said that if he had it to do over again, he would still buy the boat with Riddet and that he sees nothing wrong with the joint purchase.

“Attorneys in this office are engaged in partnership with other (private) attorneys in other ventures,” Evans said. “I don’t see it as uncommon. There are some attorneys who own rental condominiums with other attorneys, ski lodge-type stuff. There are some that own apartment buildings.”

In the event that either Evans or Riddet ends his ownership of the boat, Evans “could resume (the narcotic unit) duties if he chooses,” Freeman said.

In the meantime, Evans “can run one of our major divisions,” such as the unit specializing in prosecution of career criminals, Freeman said.

“We’re just trying to line up a suitable replacement,” he said. A replacement will be named “in a few days, probably. There’s a number of candidates we’re reviewing” within the department.