California's Case Against Dunn is Done

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Ray Cunningham dismissed the charges against former HP director, Patricia C. Dunn. Judge Cunningham's decision followed the state attorney general's decision to drop all four felony charges against Dunn. The Case against Dunn was originally filed by former California Attorney General Bill Lockyer and was based on alleged violations of several sections of the California Penal Code, 182(a)(1), 502(c)(2), 538.5, 530.5(a).

Dunn had served as the chairperson of the board of directors of Hewlett Packard.  The resignation of a director triggered disclosure that the company had undertaken an investigation of its own board to determine whether directors were disclosing confidential information about their deliberations to the public.  As part of the investigation, investigators had apparently engaged in pretexting (the use of false names and identifications to acquire phone records of board members).  Primary materials for the case may be found at the DU Corporate Governance web site.