Rule 3.4 Fairness to Opposing Party and Counsel
Rule Text
A lawyer shall not: (a) unlawfully obstruct another party's access to evidence or unlawfully alter, destroy or conceal a document or other material having potential evidentiary value. A lawyer shall not counsel or assist another person to do any such act; (b) (1) falsify evidence; (2) counsel or assist a witness to testify falsely; or (3) pay, offer to pay, or acquiesce in the payment of compensation to a witness contingent upon the content of the testimony or the outcome of the case. But a lawyer may advance, guarantee, or acquiesce in the payment of:
(i) expenses reasonably incurred by a witness in preparation, attending or testifying; or (ii) reasonable compensation to a witness for the loss of time in preparing, attending or testifying; or (iii) a reasonable fee for the professional services of an expert witness;
(c) Reserved.;
(d) Reserved.;
(e) Reserved.; (f) request a person other than a client to refrain from voluntarily giving relevant information to another party unless:
(1) the person is a relative or an employee or other agent of a client; or the lawyer reasonably believes that the person's interests will not be adversely affected by refraining from giving such information; and (2) the information is not otherwise subject to the assertion of a privilege by the client; (g) use methods of obtaining evidence that violate the legal rights of the opposing party or counsel; or (h) present, participate in presenting or threaten to present criminal charges solely to obtain an advantage in a civil matter. The maximum penalty for a violation of this rule is disbarment.