Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-06-24
LIGHTFOOT
IS FACING
DISBARMENT
Attorney-gen. Thayer Makes
Announcement He Will File
Formal Complaint
ACCUSED MAN SAYS
CHARGES TRUMPED UP
Lawyer Has Conference This
Afternoon and Expresses
Confidence of Full
Exoneration

Acting on the advice of the chief
Justice OF the supreme court and upon
evidence obtained on his recent tour
Of Hawaii county. Attorney General
'rhayer announced today that he VIII
file complaint In the supreme court
lnskituting disbarment proceedings
against Attorney Joseph Lghtfoot, Of
Honolulu.
This serious action against the local
lawyer is the direct ontgrowth Of the
sensational charges made against him
by Attorney Claudius H. Mcbride al
Hilo, who filed in the third circuit
court at that city, on June 2, an affi
davit accusing Lightfoot of uttering
slanderous comment concerning Cir,
cult Judge John A. Matthewman.
The statements are alleged to have
been made at the close of a trial in
which Lightfoot and Mcbride were
engaged as opposing counsel. and in
his affidavit the latter named a num-
Der Of witnesses who are said to have
heard Lightfoot's remarks. Immedi
ately after the affidavit was filed the
Honolulu attorney was cited for con-
tempt Of court, but at his request the
hearing on this charge was continued
to the middle Of July, to enable hin
70 engage counsel and prepare his
defense.
Meantime Deputy County Attorney
William II. Heen took up the matter,
sending copies OF the Mcbride affidav-
IL TO the attorney-general and the
chief justice Of the supreme court
asking whether It would be advisable
TO continue the coutempt proceeding
or TO institute disbarment proceedings
Further Investigation
After a careful perusal of the
charges, says Thayer, these two Off
cials agreed that disbarrnent confront
ed someone-either the man accused.
or the man who made them, and that
In either event further Investigation
was necessary. On the chief justices
advice Thayer went to the island OF
Hawaii last week He stated, on his
return TO Honolulu this morning, that
he had questioned practically every
witness named by McBride,f and that
although he could not divulge the ma
ture of extent of their answers, he hac
found sufficient confederation OF the
charge to warrant action in the SUI
preme court against Lightf0ot.
This action will be divided into two
parts, or questions, said he. One Will
be the question of fact, or whether
Lightfoot really made all or any of
oAe statements accredited to him. Tho
other will be question Of law, wheth
er the statements with the attendant
circumstances will warrant the court
in disbarring the accused man OF fur
ther legal practise in the territory.
Says Attack 10 Personal.
AS much of the Mcbride affidavit,
which has caused this new develop
ment, has been published as the fed |
eral laws permit The document In
substance, quoting Lightfoot's alleged
remarks, accuses him OF using Ian
guage unprintable <in. referring to
Judge Matthewman. It also AYERS that
he declared the city and county gov
ernment at Hilo was infested with |
graft, and specifically declared that
Judge Matthewman was included in
the list. II alleges he made these
statements, with variations, not once |
but several times, in the presence of
several witnesses, outside the court
room.
Attorney Lightfoot, it is under
stood. sets up a general denial of the |
entire charge. declaring it is a per
sonai attack by Mcbride, the outcome
of bitter animosity that sprang up
between the two men more than e
year ago in quarrel over another
case.
Liqhtfoot Confident of vindieation.
The man under fire has been sum
moned to the attorney generals of
flee for a consultation this after |
noon. Before this took place, how
ever, the former stated emphatically |
that whatever the outcome of the
conference might be, he would be
compelled to bring the action on the
evidence he already has at hand.
The Star Bulletin was unable TO Sc
cure detailed statement in reference
to the matter this morning from Mr..
Isightfoot as the attorney was pressed
with court business. However, he
expressed every confidence in the
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