A defense attorney pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he bribed a witness in a Marin County case.
Tyler Rogers Smith was defending a vandalism suspect last year when he attempted to subvert the prosecution, the District Attorney’s Office alleges. Smith, who works for a firm in Walnut Creek, is accused of arranging an out-of-court agreement for his client to pay his ex-girlfriend $3,000 to not testify against him.
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Smith is charged with offering to bribe a witness and dissuading a witness from testifying. Smith’s defense attorney, Charles Dresow, argued that although Smith signed his approval of the agreement, he was not a party to it.
Judge Geoffrey Howard overruled Dresow’s filed opposition Thursday and let the criminal charges stand. Dresow then entered the not guilty plea.
Howard scheduled next hearing for March 26. If convicted, Smith could face up to four years in prison.