About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

17 Wash. St. B. News 1 (1963)

handle is hein.barjournals/wasbn0017 and id is 1 raw text is: latl ngton 6tate ar Vol. XVII, No. 1 JANUARY-FEBRUARY, 1963 Page 1 CIVIL RIGHTS AND A FREE PRESS A panel discussion sponsored by the Uni- versity Chapter of the Civil Liberties Union of Washington was held on the University Campus on December 8th covering the prob- lems presented in sustaining freedom of the press while protecting the rights of indi- viduals to an impartial trial. The participants in the panel were: Judge George H. Revelle of the King County Su- perior Court; Brock Adams, United States District Attorney; Frank Ramon, Seattle Police Chief; Ross Cunningham, Editor of the Seattle Times; and Charles Burdell, member of the Seattle Bar. Professor Arval Morris of the University Law School, acting as moderator, set the stage with an enlightened foreword on the need for educating the youth of our country in the field of civil rights as guaranteed un- der the State and Federal Constitution and the Bill of Rights, when he announced the results of a recent survey of high school stu- dents taken by Purdue University. An alarming percentage, he reported, ap- proved censorship, search without warrant, third degree confessions and laws restrict- ing the right to vote. It was pointed out in the discussion which followed that modern methods of communi- cation disseminating news events by the media of print and television reach every prospective juror. Hearings before investi- gatory bodies, congressional committees and commissions are widely publicly televised and often result in the prosecution of a wit- ness for some criminal offense. This situation tends to influence the mind of individuals who may be called upon to decide his guilt or innocence, and imperils his constitutional guaranty of a fair and im- partial trial. It imposes an ever increasing duty upon judge, prosecutor, investigator and press alike to make sure that the rights of an accused are protected and that he has a jury free of prejudice and predelictions. The discussion was fruitful and provoca- tive, as evidenced by the question period which followed. The Bar Association, through its Civil Rights Committee, is mindful of the deli- cate balance between the constitutional guarantees of fair trial and freedom of the press, and endeavors to preserve it through meetings and conferences with the bench, law enforcement officers and the press. CIVIL RIGHTS COMMITTEE Seattle-King County Bar Association Does the Bar Association office have your current address? If not, bring them up to date. WASHINGTON JUNIOR BAR By ELDON H. REILEY, Chairman Washington Junior Bar Committee Washington now has three organizations formally affiliated with the Junior Bar sec- tion of the ABA. These are the Seattle-King County Young Lawyers, the Spokane Coun- ty Barristers Council and the Washington State Junior Bar Committee. The State Junior Bar Committee, which is appointed annually by the Board of Gov- ernors, administers projects of particular interest to young lawyers. But beyond this it is striving to interest and involve young lawyers in Bar Association activities and to provide a means for young lawyers in this state to shoulder the public responsibilities of the legal profession to a greater degree than they presently do. The State Committee is particularly in- terested in the areas of continuing legal edu- cation and state legislation. Members of the Junior Bar Committee have conferred with the chairmen of the Bar Association's com- mittees in these fields and are working out programs for cooperation between the Junior Bar and the Association's committees. The Junior Bar Committee has also un- dertaken the publication of a Directory of Services for Lawyers and, at the request of the Board of Governors, it is investigating the desirability of a state bar center for Washington. It will continue to administer the Association's lawyer placement service and to present an educational program at the Association's annual meeting. Seattle-King County Young Lawyers New admittees to the Bar were hosted by the Seattle young lawyers to (1) a coffee and doughnut session following the admission ceremony; (2) a series of practice and pro- cedure seminars and (3) a swearing in cere- mony in the U.S. District Court. A similar ceremony for the Ninth Circuit Court is be- ing planned. About 100 of the old timers among the young lawyers treated themselves in No- vember to an interlude at a local brewery where a buffet and a football movie accom- panied ample quantities of beer. A dinner on Pier 91 is scheduled for February. Spokane County Barrister Council Monthly luncheons of the Spokane Bar- risters have been highlighted by a debate be- tween attorneys Leo Driscoll and Dave Gnagey on a shopping center re-zoning pro- posal and a presentation of Tax Advice for Attorneys by Bob Kovacevich. The Coun- cil cooperated with the County Bar Associa- tion in promoting the passage of H.J. Reso- lution No. 6. It recently sponsored a group swearing in ceremony in Federal Court for CONTINGENT FEE ETHICS OPINION ISSUED The Legal Ethics Committee of the Washington State Bar Association has is- sued the following opinion: No. 139. Contingent Fees in Divorce Proceedings You have requested an opinion regard- ing the propriety of an attorney represent- ing the defendant husband in a divorce pro- ceeding under the following circumstances. The defendant is 56 years of age and has no available assets and is finding employment difficult .The wife contends that he is not entitled to any portion of the assets under her control although she is a woman of very substantial means. The defendant, although able to pay costs has no way of paying at- torneys' fees except out of the recovery of a portion of the marital property in the di- vorce proceeding. He is willing to pay a substantial fee out of the recovery provided he succeeds in the litigation. Extensive in- vestigation of accounts covering a 13 year period would be required in preparation for the trial and the trial would probably con- sume from one to two weeks in court. The question is whether the attorney may prop- erly represent this defendant under an agreement that he will he paid a reasonable fee out of the first proceeds of the property recovered for the defendant in the divorce proceeding but that no fee will be payable if there is no recovery. Your committee is of opinion that the Supreme Court of the State of Washington has determined that such an arrangement would be unethical. In re Smith, 42 Wn.2d 188. HIGH COURT SUSPENDS TWO STATE ATTORNEYS Everal Carson, Vancouver, was suspended from the practice of law for six months by the State Supreme Court on January 30. Carson was suspended for failing to file in- come tax returns during the years 1944 to 1955. Richard R. Greiner, Yakima, on Febru- ary 1, was suspended from the practice of law for 90 days by the State Supreme Court. Greiner's suspension was for failure to file income tax returns in 1949 and 1950 and from 1952 to 1955. Spokane's relatively small crop of 1962 ad- mittees to the bar. The Barrister Council has been advised by the National Junior Bar that it has re- ceived a national award as one of the local Junior Bars making the most progress dur- ing 1961-62. Spokane shares this award with the states of California and Oklahoma.

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most