Appeals court judge troubled by prosecutors' actions

SEATTLE (AP) — In a blistering opinion, five federal appeals court judges have accused two King County prosecutors of conspiring to hide evidence and allowing a witness to make false statements on the stand.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to offer any relief to Joshua Frost, sentenced to 55 years for his part in a string of robberies in 2003. But Judge Alex Kozinski and four other judges said in an opinion released this week that the prosecutors' actions were "troubling" and needed to be revealed.

Kozinski says it appears two prosecutors worked together to hide a plea deal given to a man who testified against Frost. The appeals judge says allowing a witness to testify falsely would amount to professional misconduct.

King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg denied what he called Kozinski's "unsupported accusations." Satterberg says his office takes its ethical obligations seriously and he takes exception to the opinion.