Judge's Firm Sought to Expel Woman from Washington State
Brent Basden, currently serving on the Clallam County Superior Court bench, was previously a partner at Wolfley, Basden & Hansen. Court records indicate that during his tenure at the firm, it pursued legal actions designed to suppress allegations of misconduct against his partner, Lane Wolfley.
One such action involved a 2004 lawsuit filed by the firm seeking damages because a woman, referred to as an alleged mistress of Wolfley, did not vacate Washington state. In an affidavit, Wolfley stated that her presence in the county caused him "sleeplessness, loss of appetite, irritability, worry, and stress," arguing she had breached a contract by remaining within state lines.
Wolfley petitioned for a court order of "Specific Performance," requesting a judge to compel the individual to leave the jurisdiction. He sought a penalty of "$100.00" per day for every day she remained in Washington.
The underlying agreement raises questions regarding public policy, as it utilizes a private settlement to dictate a citizen's fundamental right to reside in the state. In addition to mandating physical departure, the contract included a strict gag order prohibiting any discussion of the disputes. The firm sought to enforce this exile, arguing that her presence alone caused Wolfley "emotional pain."
Silencing the Vulnerable
The firm also targeted a Port Angeles man in 2003. The complaint, filed by Wolfley and notarized by Basden, accused the man of slander for "alleging, to whomever will listen to him, that [Wolfley] has occasionally been involved in homosexual acts and has molested children."
The case, which involved a prominent law firm suing an unhoused man, was never decided on its merits. It concluded with a stipulated order permanently enjoining the man from communicating any statement "whether truth or rumor" regarding Wolfley's personal life.
Counterclaims Filed
While the firm successfully silenced the man, the woman fought back. Her court filings alleged that Wolfley initiated a sexual relationship with her on the night she first sought his legal advice. She stated that he "overwhelmed her with attention" and provided expensive gifts, taking advantage of her vulnerability and his status as a prominent attorney.
The woman argued that Wolfley's actions violated the Rules of Professional Conduct. She alleged that Wolfley utilized confidential information she had shared with him as a client—details regarding her family, finances, and past—to harass her.
Bar Investigation
Kathy Rojas initiated a formal complaint against attorney Wolfley with the state Bar Association on June 27, 2003. She had retained his legal services in late 2002 to handle a personal injury claim resulting from a vehicular collision.
A stipulation filed by both parties detailed that during their professional relationship, the attorney knowingly and intentionally directed sexual advances toward his client. The document outlined that he kissed her, touched her breasts and buttocks, and inserted his hands into her clothing.
In his written response to the grievance, Wolfley claimed the interaction had been strictly friendly and flirtatious, denying any romantic or sexual intent. He specifically stated he had never kissed Rojas nor touched her intimate areas. However, video evidence contradicted these claims, leading the stipulation to conclude that the attorney had supplied the Association with false and misleading information.
The Bar Association determined that by providing inaccurate statements during the investigation, Wolfley violated Rule of Professional Conduct 8.4(c), which prohibits conduct involving dishonesty or misrepresentation. He also breached Rule 8.4(l) by failing to meet the duty of providing a full and complete response to the grievance as required by Ethics Law Commission 5.3. Consequently, the attorney was suspended from practicing law for a period of three years.
The legal disputes involving Mary Moore also highlighted a potential motive for Wolfley’s aggressive litigation tactics. Court records indicated that the intense legal campaign was not primarily driven by Moore’s actions, but rather by the discovery that Wolfley’s wife had learned of his relationship with a third woman.
Moore contended that upon the revelation of this additional affair, the attorney abandoned her and broke prior promises in an effort to salvage his marriage. The subsequent lawsuit seeking to have Moore removed from Washington State appeared to be part of a hurried effort to eliminate the physical evidence of his infidelity from the local community through the use of court powers.
During this period, Wolfley also engaged in public relations efforts, submitting commentary to the Peninsula Daily News to defend his reputation. In a piece published in December 2003, he described himself as being wounded by malicious gossip that alleged he had embezzled funds from his church and was involved in drug activities. Similar defensive letters had been sent to the same publication by Basden months earlier, in which he defended the local justice system.
Basden has consistently supported Wolfley in various capacities, both as a Superior Court Judge presiding over a murder trial and as the LDS Port Angeles Stake President overseeing community events. This pattern of support has raised concerns about excessive leniency, particularly given the public record of Wolfley’s sexual misconduct with a female client.
Wolfley has noted on internet forums that he served as the church Santa for over 40 years. Despite the Bar Association’s finding that he had knowingly made sexual advances, including fondling and touching a client’s clothing, Basden permitted the former Bishop to continue in this role during his tenure as Stake President. This position provided Wolfley with direct access to children and families, a privilege that contrasts with the documented predatory behavior identified in the disciplinary proceedings.
A Sequim woman, Mary Moore, has detailed a multi-front legal and extrajudicial campaign she says was waged against her by a prominent local attorney, Wolfley, and his firm. According to court filings, the harassment began after an initial settlement in which Wolfley paid Moore to leave the state. Rather than adhering to the agreement, the attorney allegedly initiated a series of aggressive legal maneuvers against her over the following twelve months.
Moore’s filings describe the strategy as a deliberate effort to intimidate and humiliate. One key component involved Wolfley soliciting Moore’s subsequent landlord to file a separate action for fraud and eviction. To heighten the public pressure, Wolfley’s law partner, a local attorney named John Black, personally served the lawsuit on Moore while she was on the clock at her retail position at a Gottschalks restaurant. The firm subsequently ensured that the fraud allegations were publicized in the Peninsula Daily News. The suit was withdrawn only after Moore’s legal representative petitioned the court for a restraining order to halt the publication.
The conflict extended beyond formal proceedings. Moore testified under oath that Wolfley frequently followed her in his vehicle, made rude gestures, and drove slowly through the parking lot of her workplace. She also claimed that Wolfley contacted other local lawyers who expressed interest in representing her, providing them with false information to discourage them from accepting the case.
When Moore filed counterclaims alleging predatory conduct and abuse of the legal system, the law firm moved to conceal the documentation. In March 2004, John Black filed a motion to seal the case file and purge Moore’s responsive pleadings from the public record. The court denied the request to hide the records. Shortly after this denial, Wolfley filed a motion to voluntarily dismiss his own complaint.
Documents from the case bear the letterhead of the firm Wolfley, Basden & Hansen, indicating that the legal instruments used to banish a woman from her home state and silence a resident were prepared by this practice. A partner in the firm, Brent Basden, filed a motion in the matter. The firm’s actions were taken to protect a partner who had admitted to a long-term extramarital relationship and was later suspended by the State Bar Association for sexual misconduct.
Basden currently serves as a judge in Clallam County Superior Court. His involvement in the private practice during this period has raised questions among local residents regarding his impartiality, specifically concerning his historical interactions with a partner who used the judicial system for personal and professional gain. The situation prompts scrutiny of whether a judge who once assisted in a legal effort to exile a victim can be viewed as dispensing neutral justice today.