The San Francisco call., 1907-06-23
HEBBARD FOUND GUILTY
BY BAR COMMITTEE OF
MISCONDUCT ON BENCH
Gross Intoxication While
Hearing Cases Is
the Charge
MIND is IMPAIRED
Judge Coffey May Be Asked
to Assign Him No
More Cases

Judge ]. c. B. Hebbard was found
guilty by the grievance committee of
the bar association yesterday Of being
grossly intemperate in his habits and
OF using intoxicating liquors to a de-
gree that seriously impaired his men
tai capacity, rendering him unfit to
perform his duties on the bench. The
grievance committee Will make Its re-
port to the bar association Monday. and
IL viii then be decided what action to
take against Judge Hebbard.
Two courses are possible-eitner to
wait until the next session of the leg
islsture and impeach him or secure a
pledge from Presiding Judge Coffey not
TO assign any more cases to his court
ably be followed in order to prevent
another fiasco similar to the one in
Judge Hebbard's court, when he issued
10 Abe Ruef a writ OF error returnable
in the United States court.
The evidence presented before the
grievance committee which led to find
ing Judge Hebbard guilty was chiefly
regarding his actions on the day he
save this remarkable writ. Testimony
was given showing that he was drunk
on the bench at the time he gave the
writ and remained drunk the rest Of
the day and evening, making himself
an object OF public contempt
A-fAOeuCS OF Oll6T occasions covering
a period Of two years, when Judge Heb
bard had shown himself incapacftated
by liquor, was also heard. Three Satur-
day mornings were consumed by the
grievance committee in taking testi-
rnony IN the case of Judge Hebbard be-
fore decision was reached. The last
witness left the stand shortly before
y o'clock yesterday morning. and in
q very Few minutes the commit se de-
cided that, in its opinion, Judge Heb
bard was unworthy to sit on the bench
Of California
Judge Hebbard was summoned three
weeks ago to appear before the griev-
ance committee and answer the
charges made, but he did not appear
at any one OF the three meetings held
The grievance committee was called
and acted as a grand jury to hear the
charges made against Judge Hebbard
In response to the report Of the in
Vestigating committee appointed short
~ after Judge Hebbard issued Ruefs
writ. This committee, consisting of
Mat Sullivan, Robert T. Devlin and
Samuel n. Knight, recommended the
trial Of Judge Hebbard by the bar as
sociation. 1t said at that time in its
report:
We have made no investigation
whatever regarding the character of
any decision or ruling made by Judge
Hebbard, deeming such Investigation
beyond the scope Of the committees
duty Upon careful consideration,
however, OF all the facts brought to
our attention, as well as statements
made in his behalf, we find and hereby
charge that Judge Hebbard is grossly
intemperate in his habits; that durin 2
The past two years he has frequently
appeared in and about his courtroom.
In the public streets and elsewhere in
an intoxicated condition and that he is
aooicteo TO the use Of intoxicating
liquors az such times in such quanti-
ties and under such circumstances as
to seriously impair his mental capacity
and render him unfit to properly per-
form his official duties"