The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-01-10
SHOULD JUDGES BE ADVOCATES?

NTHE RECENT of the ONel case the United States
District Court the represented by deputy
judge of Bridgeport City court The criminal business is the
chief business Of the City Court and hence of its judges
Should judges of criminal courts practice advocates be-
fore other criminal courts? The question is of public poll
cy.
The State Bar Association of Connecticut has received
code of professional ethics practically the code of the Amer
Bar Association The code SAYS
court ed e aase f Po ms nd a5 aad
bar Gn1 stun Nv @ be ruth and to- epesent the
in asserting L.
There should be and there should be bar This
the american theory of the essentials OF administrative JUS
tce.
There is no provision in this definition wo-headed
Institution, half judge and half advocate
Connecticut decisions reflect dmy appreciation of this
principle
In French VS. Town of Waterbury," said it
unproessona for deputy judge practice before his own
court suppose that the question of
ce of judge before other courts should arise here it would
be declared unprofessona Such declaration would be in
with public policy and the ethical standards of American
lawyers
In Florida when an attorney judge of circuit
court right practice in any of the courts of the ate
including the Supreme court, is suspended
Now York, surrogate the equivalent of Connec
cut Probate judge the fact suspended from practice
declared by statute that state magistrate justice Of the
court special shall hold any other public office
carry any other business practice attorney
law shall devote his whole time and capacity to
the duties of his office.
An Ohio statute provides person who holds
record snail pracuce as an
torney in any court of the state,
Thc0nsituton Of West Virginia says that judge shall
hold any other office and says the office of criminal judge and
notary public held incompatible.
If the silent and there nothing in the code
if constitutions omitted the subject and statutes made refer
it. the principle of judges the practice of law would
be abhorrent to the of justice
While human nature remains is the judge who prac
tees lawyer will be clothed in the mind of the ay with the
dignity of his judicial office and will WELD moral authority
that, advocate, would not attach to him.
In It's separation of the advocate from the judge the code is
wise in another way. prevents unfair competition. It is not
fair to the lawyers community who merely advocates
that lawyers who also judges should throw into the bust
against them, the weight of the judicial office
Lawyers and human 1t is logical and
certain that business will flow in to the office of the advocate
who judge that would somewhere se if the advocate
not judge.
These times when institutions trial The insi-
tuition judiciary should end the system by which
yer judge Monday advocate Tuesday, and judge
again Wednesday, This reform necessary for the pro-
lection of the public and for commercial fair
among the members of the profession.
The judges Of the City Court should hold office during good
behavior should receive salaries adequate to their support
should be appointed by the governor preferably by
Judges of the Superior Court They should be denied all
offices and the right to practice law and the right to be
ciaed in business way with anybody who does practice law