Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-06-24

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
Thayer announced today that he swill
file complaint in the supreme court
iDskituting disbarment proceedings
against Attorney Joseph Lightfoot, OF
Honolulu.
This serious action against the local
lawyer is the direct outgrowth of the
sensational charges made against him
ny Attorney Claudius H. Mcbride al
Hilo, who filed in the third circuit
court at that city, on June 2, an aft.
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 mum.
Der OF witnesses who are said to have
heard Lightf0ot's remarks. Immedi.
stely after the affidavit was filed tie
Honolulu attorney was cited for con
tempt of court, but at his request the
bearing on this charge was continued
TO the middle of July, to enable him
TO engage counsel and prepare his
defense.
Meantime Deputy County Attorney
William III. Heen took up the matter.
sending copies of the Mcbride affiday-
It tO The attorney-general and the
chief justice of the supreme court, |
asking whether 1t would be advisable |
to continue the contempt proceeding |
or to institute disbarment proceedings. |
Further Investigation
After careful perusal of the |
charges, says Thayer, these two Off
cials agreed that disbarment 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, and that |
although he could not divulge the ma
ture Of extent of their answers, he had
found sufficient corroboration of the
charge to warrant action in the su-
preme court against Lightfoot.
parts, or questions. said ne. One will /
be the question Of fact, or whether
Lightfoot really made all or any OF
the statements accredited to him. The
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 Is 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 10
Judge Matthewman 1t 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. It alleges he made these
statements, with variations, noR once
but several times, in the presefce OF
several witnesses, outside the court
room.
AlIOTHcs II 10 =
stood. sets up a general denial of the
entire charge, declaring it is a pI"
sonai attack by Mcbride, the outcome
Of a bitter animosity that sprang up;
between the two men more than a
year ago in quarrel over another
case.
Cichtfoot Confident of Vindication.
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 a detailed statement in reference
to the matter this morning from Mr..
Iightfoot as the attorney was pressed
with court business. However, heI
expressed every confidence in the
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