Title 32

SECTION 776.43

776.43 Fairness to opposing party and counsel.

§ 776.43 Fairness to opposing party and counsel.

(a) A covered attorney shall not:

(1) Unlawfully obstruct a party's access to evidence or unlawfully alter, destroy, or conceal a document or other material having potential evidentiary value. A covered attorney shall not counsel or assist another person to do any such act;

(2) Falsify evidence, counsel or assist a witness to testify falsely, or offer an inducement to a witness that is prohibited by law;

(3) Knowingly disobey an order of the tribunal except for an open refusal based on an assertion that no valid obligation exists;

(4) In pretrial procedure, make a frivolous discovery request or fail to make reasonably diligent effort to comply with a legally proper discovery request by a party;

(5) In trial, allude to any matter that the covered attorney does not reasonably believe is relevant or that will not be supported by admissible evidence, assert personal knowledge of facts in issue except when testifying as a witness, or state a personal opinion as to the justness of a cause, the credibility of a witness, the culpability of a civil litigant, or the guilt or innocence of an accused; or

(6) Request a person other than a client to refrain from voluntarily giving relevant information to another party unless:

(i) The person is a relative, an employee, or other agent of a client; and

(ii) The covered attorney reasonably believes that the person's interests will not be adversely affected by refraining from giving such information.

(b) [Reserved]