Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist drops appeal of misconduct ruling

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — The Pierce County prosecutor's office has dropped their appeal of a judge's finding of prosecutorial vindictiveness in a long-running sex-abuse case.

The News Tribune reports that a motion filed Monday with the Washington State Court of Appeals withdrew prosecutor Mark Lindquist's appeal of a lower court's dismissal of charges against Longbranch resident Lynn Dalsing.

By withdrawing the appeal, the finding of vindictiveness against Lindquist's office becomes legally permanent.

A judge on March 31 threw out charges against Dalsing, saying they were based on prosecutorial vindictiveness.

Dalsing filed a false-arrest lawsuit in 2012. Monday's motion opens the door for a possible settlement of the case.

Dalsing faced sex crime charges based on a child pornography photo later proved to have nothing to do with her.