Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-28
IT Is SIMPLE JUSTICE.
John Douglas Cites Some Historical An
swers to the Query.

John Douglas Cites Some Historical An
swers to the Query.
Few men are more thoroughly read in the
law than DR.. John Douglas, the attorney at
4OS Grant street. When asked to reply to
THE DISPATCH query he very promptly
penned the following:
In your question you seem TO take it for
granted that lawyers do defend clients
whom they know to be in the wrong, and 1t
Is. too, q prevailing sentiment among the
people that lawyers have no conscience, and
work for money, regardless Of the merits or
dement's Of the case. There may be cases OF
this kind. do not saw there are not, but l
am inclined 10 believe they are not near as
numerous as some people imagine.
But when is lawyer to judge Of the
rghtfulEess or wrongfuluess of his clients
case2 Not certainly before he has heard II.
All cases are supposed to be determined ac-
cording TO the law and the evidence, and
until all the evidence is given on both sides
and compared with the law no man, lawyer
or Judge can tell whether the plaintiff or the
defendant is in the right.
ABOUT BAD CASES.
The reply Of DR.. johnson to Boswell, al
though often referred TO in the discussion of
this question, is not, 1 think, very sound IN
YOU think of supporting a cause which you
know to be bad?" johnson replied, with
some warmth; ''Sir, you do not know it to
be bad til the judge determines it. But
cJse might be very good one, and yet the
Judge may decide that the law is against the
client, and vice versa.
In talking about nard and bad cases peo-
ple DO not know what they are talking
ABOUT The hard and bad cases are not
made by the lawyers, but by the clients
who impose upon the lawyer and misrepre-
sent their cases. I: is no small task to get
clients 10 tell the whole truth about their
cases. They are generally OF the opinion
that their LAWYERS should not know every
thing, and in this WY many good and con-
scientious lawyers are deceived and take
cases they would not have taken if they
had known all the truth. A case may be
good In morals and bad in law, but during
the few minutes in which you wish me to
give ny opinion on this question 1 cannot
wait TO give you samples.
he MUST BELIEVE
A client, like every other man, is sup
posed 10 be innocent until he has been proven
TO ne guilty. If then man comes TO me,
wnom 1 know to be O respectable citizen,
ard tells me his story 1 am bound to believe
him. Ii discover a weak point here and
there, must not tell him that he is liar,
his case is bad one, and I will have moth
ing to do with II. Yet afterward on the
trial 1 might discover that he most
egregriously misrepresented hiscase when he
first came to consult me. But if have good
reason to believe the story of client have
q perfect right to take his case, and an en-
Iightened conscience will not reprove me.
But must not assume the prerogative of
Judge, nor act as a witness and jury and
try the mans case. Such a course would be
cOnsummate nonsense. But do not be-
lieve the statemen: made by Lord Brougham
in defending Tom Paine, that the advocate
who refuses to defend because of the charac-
ter of the charge or the defense assumes the
character OF judge before the time for
judgment
THE PLEA OF GUILTY.
Neither do I accept the declaration of
Lord Brougham in Queen Caroline's case
Ibst an advocate by the sacred duty of his
connection with his client, should know but
one person in the world-his client and no
other-and should protect that client at all
hazards and costs to all others.
But am getting too prolix, and desire
TO say that lawyers do not uniformly defend
clients who are in the wrong. Many men
euter plea of guilty" at the suggestion Of
their counsel because being in the wrong
they are indeiensible. Clients are told by
lawyers every day that the law and facts
are ali against them, and they advise them
rot 10 60 10 the expense of a law suit.
THE man slayer was so guilty that the
svenger OF blood might have taken his life
before he entered the city of refuge, but
guilty as he was he was safe when he en-
tered the walls Of the citv.'