In re Barnes
In re Barnes
Opinion of the Court
I think the accusation should be dismissed. As to the first specification, the charge as made has not been established by evidence which satisfies my judgment. It does appear, however, that Gumpel was employed by the defendant in the case of Sharon v. Sharon to examine the alleged marriage contract, wdth the expectation that he would be called as a witness if his opinion was favorable. After the examination had been made, the respondent was induced to believe the result favorable to his wishes, and Gumpel was paid fifteen hundred dollars on account. Gumpel from the first talked of his poverty, of his urgent need for money, and insisted that it was a great case, and he expected to be liberally paid, and that there should be an agreement that his bill should be paid whatever it might be, and sometimes argued against the views of respondent in regard to the genuineness of the signature. Respondent, however, never supposed that Gumpel had- any doubts as to the question of forgery, but thought he was merely attempting to get more money. Never
As to the other charge, it is still more proper to regard it entirely as the facts appeared to the respondent. He is not more guilty than he would have been had the document been genuine, and availed to expose the forgery of the signature of Sharon, and that it was being supported by perjured testimony. The denouement—the discomfiture of Barnes— showing that he had been duped, must be left out of view. If the facts had proven to be as he believed they were, and the result as he anticipated,' most people, I think, would have applauded his conduct. There is no evidence in this record to show that Barnes advised McLaughlin to steal the paper, or induced him in any way to take it from the custody of Tyler. That idea is founded, so far as this case is concerned, entirely upon the statements of Tyler as to what McLaughlin told him. That, of course, is not evidence, and, in my judgment, not worthy of credence if it were. Had that fact appeared by legal and creditable evidence, I agree that Barnes’ position would be indefensible. It is bad enough, no doubt, as it is. But detective work must be judged by an ethics of its own. It is deemed proper to deceive and practice stratagems upon a public enemy, and the criminal is the common enemy of all. I concur in discharging the accused, while regretting that one so high in the profession should have been guilty of conduct which requires explanation.
I think the respondent should neither be disbarred nor suspended. It is fair to repeat that all the facts have been viewed as I think they appeared to respondent. The allusions to Gumpel must be understood in that light. The accusation is dismissed.
Concurring Opinion
We concur in the judgment, because in our opinion, the evidence utterly fails to show any conduct on the part of respondent for which he should either be disbarred or suspended.
Concurring Opinion
I concur in the conclusion reached in Justice Temple’s opinion on the second specification of the accusation, which relates to the Tyler-Gumpel contract. I do
Searls, C. J., was not present at the hearing, and did not participate in the decision.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- In re BARNES
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Attorney—Disbarment for Offering Money for Testimony.—An attorney, believing a certain paper to be a forgery, hired an expert to examine it. The expert expressed his doubt as to the forgery; and the attorney, supposing that the expert believed the paper a forgery, and only expressed doubt to extort money, offered him a large sum of money to testify in regard to the forgery. Held, that such conduct was subject to criticism, but not sufficient ground for disbarment. Attorney—Disbarment—Procuring Person to Steal Papers.—The respondent was charged with procuring one to steal a paper, but the only evidence against him was the testimony of the party who lost the paper that the person who stole it said that respondent had hired him to steal it. Held, that such statement was not evidence, and the respondent could not be disbarred on the charge.