A Washington state attorney is facing criminal charges after allegedly forging a legal document in an attempt to keep her client out of jail. Josephine C. Townsend, 64, has been charged with two counts of forgery, which could result in a sentence of 90 days in jail and a $5,000 fine. The charges stem from her actions involving her client, Travon Santiago, who was arrested in December 2023 by the Vancouver Police Department for an alleged assault. As part of his release, one of the conditions was that he stay more than 1,000 feet away from the victim’s home.
In January 2024, the victim’s girlfriend filed for a civil protection order, which required Santiago to stay at least 5,000 feet away from their residence. This posed a problem for Santiago, who lived approximately 1,065 feet from the victim’s home. As a result, he would have violated the order if he remained at his residence after posting bail on April 2, 2024.
Santiago attempted to comply with the protection order by staying elsewhere, while Townsend worked on amending both the criminal and civil orders. Santiago claimed that Townsend kept assuring him she was working to get a court date for the amendments, but at times, she was unresponsive. On April 25, 2024, a judge amended the criminal order, reducing the distance from 1,000 feet to 500 feet. However, the civil order remained unchanged, requiring Santiago to stay 5,000 feet away from the victim’s home.
Unaware of the unmodified civil order, Santiago returned home, believing he was in compliance with both orders. On July 17, 2024, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office responded to a complaint that Santiago was violating the protection order. Santiago’s girlfriend provided the police with the amended criminal order, but the officers also had the civil order, which stated that Santiago needed to remain 5,000 feet away. The girlfriend then called Townsend, who sent her a copy of an amended civil order, which included both Santiago’s and the judge’s signatures, along with that of the court clerk. However, no such amended order was found in the court system.
Suspicious of the document’s authenticity, law enforcement began investigating its origin. The civil order was shown to Santiago, who immediately noticed several discrepancies. His name was misspelled, and the birth date listed was incorrect. Santiago confirmed that he had never signed the document. Both the judge and the court clerk also stated that they had neither amended nor signed the civil order.
The investigation revealed that Townsend had allegedly forged the civil order in an attempt to help her client avoid arrest. According to Detective Sergeant Jayson Camp, it appeared that Townsend had been contacted by Santiago on the night of July 17, 2024, after law enforcement arrived at his home to arrest him for violating the unmodified civil protection order. Townsend allegedly forged the order and emailed it to her client, who then presented it to law enforcement in an effort to avoid arrest.
When questioned by the police, Townsend denied forging the document and accused Santiago of lying. She claimed that she only represented him in the criminal matter and had informed him that she would assist with the civil case “only if you pay me.” However, investigators obtained text messages between Townsend and Santiago’s girlfriend that contradicted her claims. Townsend dismissed the messages, stating that they lacked context.
As the investigation continued, the charges against Townsend grew more serious. The forged document, the inconsistencies in the story, and the evidence of deception led to the criminal charges. Townsend’s actions not only involved criminal forgery but also a breach of legal ethics, as she attempted to manipulate the court system to benefit her client.
The case highlights the risks attorneys face when crossing ethical boundaries, even when motivated by a desire to help their clients. Townsend’s alleged forgery was a simple mistake in judgment that ultimately led to her undoing. The criminal charges she now faces serve as a reminder of the importance of maintaining integrity within the legal profession, as well as the potential consequences of dishonesty in the pursuit of legal outcomes.
