The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-09
ATTORNEY SEEKS TO
BE FREED OF CLIENT
Case Is a Unique One In An
nails of Ramsey County
Bar

For the first time in years, and prob
ably for the first time in the history
Of the Ramsey county bar. an attorney
Is seeking in the district court to be
excused from giving his legal services
to client. The rule of the land has
always been that attorneys were ever
willing TO volunteer their services in
the trial of suits. If there might ex-
list reasonable chance of winning and
of being paid.
FRANKLIN III. Griggs, partner of Judge
w. B. Douglas, formerly justice of the
supreme court, set the initiative in this
matter when he filed a petition asking
the district court to excuse him from
serving as the attorney for J. ]. O'Keefe
in two suits now pending in the district
court. In affidavits attached to the pc
tition Mr.. Griggs says that he has tried
TO get Mr.. O'Keefe to voluntarily re-
tease him from serving in the cases.
but that Mr.. O'Keefe seems determined
to keep him as his counsel and he
therefore appeals to the court to inter-
vene.
o'Keefe VIII Explain
Judge Lewis gave the petition a hear
Ing and signed an order citing Mr..
Okeefe into court Saturday morning
10 explain why he is so insistent upon
retaining the services of Counselor
Griggs when there are half a hundred
other attorneys willing to take charge
OF the interests involved.
In an affidavit Mr.. Griggs states that
he is the counsel for Mr.. O'Keefe in
two suits, one being that of Fred Wom-
mer VS.. Joseph Jockey and J. J..
Okeefe; the other that of the John
Anderson Publishing company VS.. J. ]
O'Keefe. The former case is set for
trial next week and motion in the lat
ter is scheduled to be argued next Mon
day.
.Ihe deponent goes on to say that his
client has repeatedly gone contrary to
the advice given him in legal matters
ana that he, as attorney, is unable to
longer defend the cases with the inter-
est and enthusiasm due them becansa
Oheefe has so long been in the habit
OF changing his mind after having Civ
en- MS attorney Instructions In one
instance cited of this alleged peculiar
lily, the attorney was empowered to
settle the Anderson case and that he
ala so: After everything was amicably
settled O'Keefe decided he wanted to
keep on suing.
Asked for His DISCHARGE
Attorney Griggs submits a letter and
an unsigned discharge of OBLIGATIONS
as an attorney, as evidence in the case.
Inc letter is one written to Mr.. O'Keefe
hs lhat ne relieve the attorney
IRON 1I, any further duties as counsel.
The attorney says that Mr. O'Kaafa
agreed to do this and he accordingly
drew up in the regular form a notice
OF discharge of attorney and mailed if
10 Okeefe together with all of the
iegaI documents pertaining to the suits
in progress.
Inc discharge has not been return
.eu 10 Mr. Griggs that he may file it.
anu instead he says in his deposition
mat Tuesday he received telenhone
message from his client in which the
latter says that he had decided not to
allow Mr.. Griggs to Withdraw from the
accordingly the petition was filed
oi'o people who visit Judge Lewis court
room Saturday morning will he orea+
ed with the novel sight of An attorne,,
seeking to discharge a client who re-,
fuses to be discharged.