The San Francisco call., 1907-03-09
BAR ASSOCIATION To
INVESTIGATE CHARGES
AGAINST JUDGE HEBBARD
Committee Is to Gather Evi-
dence of Incompetency
Forthwith
ACH ATTACKS DUNNE
Wants Him Discredited for
failing Shortridge, but
Nerve Fails

Superior Judge J. {. B. Hebbard's
judicial delinquencies are TO be made
a matter for investigation by the Bar
Association. which comprises $50 OF the
leading local lawyers Within twenty
four hours President w. B. Cope OF the
association must appoint a committee
Of three 10 collect the evidence re-
garding the Judges misbehavior on
and of the bench. This committee is
to report its findings quickly, in the
shape of written charges, to the asso
ciation's grievance committee, which,
for this purpose, is 10 have its MEM
bership augmented from ten TO twenty
members.
The committee viii give Hebbard a
chance 10 be heard. After hearing
him it viii report to the association
its judgment and its recommendation.
The recommendation may be that he
be expelled from the Bar Association
or that he be called upon TO resign
from the Superior bench, or that steps
be taken for his impeachment. which
cannot be done however, unless the
Legislature is called in special session.
ACH ATTACKS DUNNE
The Bar Associations meeting last
night was largely attended that
many attorneys were unable TO gain
entrance to the room 1t was a serious
from the clash of legal minds. The
battle centered around Francis ].
Heney. who is prosecuting Abe Ruef.
and Henry Ach. who is defending the
erstwhile fugitive boss. Ach attempted
to cloud the Hebbard question by pro-
posing an investigation Of Judge Dunno
because he had sent Sam Shortridge to
jail for contempt of court. Ach read
the records of the proceedings in
Dunnes court. Heney explained them
and contended that the Judge was JUS
titled in suppressing Ruefs attorney.
The Bar Association, with an almost
unanimous voice. tabled Ach's charges
against Judge Dunno and one speaker
branded them as an insult to the in
telligence Of any attorney.
The disposition OF Judge Hebbard's
case involved more argument The
statements of score of practicing at
torneys should serve to condemn the
jurist forever Even those who sought
TO save him from obloquy or sought 10
delay proceedings so that the Bar As
sociation's action might not be brought
before the present Legislature, ad-
mitted that he was given to drunken
ness on and off the bench. J. c. Nc
Kinstry. chairman OF the grievance
committee offered a resolution calling
upon Hebbard to resign. McKinstry
paid the Judge the compliment of be-
ing above a bribe. even though he
might be influenced by his hates and
friendships. He said that Hebbard was
unfit to sit upon the bench.
LAWYERS WORSE THAN JUDGE
Francis J. Heney said that he had
made the public statement regarding
Hebbard's drunkenness, and that the
published statements were as he had
uttered them. Heney would rather ap-
pear as a witness than an advocate, he
said, but he would publicly pursue any
Judge whom he considered crooked or
incompetent. He expressed his belief
that Hebbard's action in granting Ruef
the writ OF error was fixed" before
hand and that ShoNridge. Ach and
Fairall, attorneys for the boodler, were
ten times worse than the Judge whom
they had used in his weakness.
It was this statement that aroused
the wrath of Ach and spurred him to
involve Judge Dunno in the proceed
ings. Ach told the Bar Association his
version of the whole history of the
writ, denied that II was fixed, denied
that Hebbard was drunk and declared
that he had never seen the Judge
drunk upon the bench.
When the discussion reached the
point as to what the lawyers present
knew Of Hebbard's behavior. Heney
called attention TO the fact that his
honor" had been breaking champagne
glasses in Fillmore street yesterday
afternoon. Heney's point Of view was
vigorously supported by J. J. Dwyer,
and speeches with various purposes
were made by Timothy J. Lyons, E. S.
Heller Warren Olney Jr., Judge Shad
burne Matt Sullivan and w. F. Will
Hanson.
The association also decided to press
charges against Justice Of the Peace
A. B. Lawson for negligence Of duty
in his Office.