The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1889-01-31
CRIMINAL LAWYER AND "CRO0K. /.
Detroit Free Press

"A sf1so Dat always timely subject
in which the pablis has abiding con.
sern, il the rsaisa between law.
yers and crininals.
Law, in the broad sense, is the
FORMULATED best wisdom of the ages.
The application of it to the practi-
cal affairs Of society has besQms an
involved science, in which the pro-
portion of justice to law is lamenta-
bly, small.
Take the so-called criminal law
yer with his ingenious and constant
effort to save from punishment the
common tAiet, the banco steerer,
the pick pocket, the ''porchsr" and
other professionals-humaR rattle
snakes, whose instinct and business
it is to harm society. One of this
class of practitioners who is widely
known a. the rock and refuge oil
thieves, was asked if ever he de-
tended man of whose guiltness he
was sogAiaant.
II declare to ysu," vas the re-
ply, "that l Revsr entered upon a
defense OF an accused person whom
| did NOT believe was innocent"
Of course he did, because he is
not fool, and some of his clients
are in the penitentiary doing pen
ance for crime, which not only their
lawyer but the world at large knew
and know all about.
1t is proper that ever person who
maliciously commits crime against
society shall suffer the lawful CON
sequences of that crime. Society
says to him, thou art the man. "
but at the same time it offers him a
fair field in which to meet and (if
he may confound his accuser. So
ciety says further: "You stand
here for law, and you shall have it
in due form; you shall not be rail
roaded to your penalty; we shall de-
liberately ascertain the measure Of
your offense, and when we have
once determined it we shall calmly.
without passion, and never in the
avenging mood, lay upon you the
lash that we have dispassionately
prescribed for all such asyou, solely
for the general good"
The criminal lawyer (whom hap
Ply accident has fifty named) does
not agree with society. On the con-
trary, he is the defender and apollo
gist of crime. The ethics of his
profession teach that he is bound to
see that his client has all the rights
and privileges which society
+ Through its formulated wisdom,
law declares belong to him; that he
be convicted, if guilty, according to
the rule, SO. as to say, and that
neither popular clamor nor an ex-
traneous thing or condition be al
lowed to invade the vaguest shadow
of his right. But professional
ethics are one thing and every day
practice is quite another thing
Our criminal lawyers interpreta.
ton of the ethics aforementioned il
elastic. If 1t comes in his way t.
procure the acquittal Of his crimi
nal client according to the dut
form and process of law, he is wei
enough satisfied; but the client il
question must by hook or crook
nay, by all the crooks" whose aiC
he may be able to enlist. That i,
the average criminal lawyers un
derstanding of the law and the
profits.
Thus this clever schemer, thi
cunning trickster, this dexterou
manipulation of judicial hocus pocus
becomes, in the very nature of hi
occupation, relatively as dangerou
an enemy of society as the crimina
class in whose bad behalf he enlist
his sharpened faculties and hi
dulled conscience.