County prosecutor in Va. admits spy job

BOWLING GREEN, Va. (AP) — Caroline County's commonwealth attorney has been disciplined for using an undercover paralegal to spy on a lawyer who filed a professional complaint against him.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/YvBNON) reports Friday that Anthony G. "Tony" Spencer received a public reprimand from the Virginia State Bar's disciplinary board for violating professional rules of conduct.

Spencer acknowledges he "made a mistake," although he said his intentions were good.

The spying involved a Richmond attorney Spencer had faced in a 2010 trial. The opposing attorney, John LaFratta, filed a complaint with the bar disputing a claim Spencer had made at trial.

Spencer later sent a paralegal to LaFratta's office posing as a student to investigate the claim.

A public reprimand is a lesser punishment than the suspension or revocation of a law license.

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Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch, http://www.timesdispatch.com