The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-02-06
VICTIMS Of
RENO RING
To APPEAL
Judge Drafts Informal Opinion
Assuring innocent Parties Di-
vorces Can Be Reopened.
By J. HARVEY l.. COBB,

Copyright. 1919. by The washinEton
Times Company ~
Victims Of the Alexandria di-
vorce ring--men and women who
have been sued for divorce, some
with their knowledge and others
without their knowledge or consent
--cnn have the DEGREES. set aside
and annulled.
Litigation TO Follow.
This Is the opinion of Judge J. X.
NJ. Norton, one OF Alexandria's most
prominent lawyers and who has also
announced his opposition to a con.
tinuation OF conditions that exist in
Little Reno OF the East.
The opinion was given by Judge
Norton at the request os The Times.
which has received upward Of 200
inquiries, by letter. telegram and per
son. from people who have been vic
timized in the divorce ring.
An avalanche of litigation, II Is
expected, will result from overthrow
of the Little Reno divorce mill,
after the probe has been finished.
Already litigation has been started
by some Of the victims of the ring.
when they discovered that false
charges had been preferred against
them.
May Prefer Charges.
Not only can the decree be laid
aside, Judge Norton declares, but
criminal prosecution can be had
against the witnesses, who made
the false dispositions. and the at.
torneys who were instrumental in
=, Cu..n the witnesses.
Hundreds of cases are availa Bile
where Alexandria lawyers have Sc
cured citizens of Little Reno to
make false affidavits for their
clients.
The buck" on this question
however. is quickly passed by MEM
clare they have no knowledge Of
the transactions between their eli.
ents and the party-resident making
the affidavits.
Same Witnesses Used.
The lawyers fail to explain. how
ever, how the name of obscure
whose only fame Is
an unenviable record as deponents
in divorce cases. could appear time
and time again, as the witnesses in
their cases.
In many instances witnesses have
paid their room rent for the estab.
fishing of an overnight residence
direct to the divorce lawyers, who
combine the functions of their law
practice with those Of a boarding
house keeper.
Bills for the room rent rendered
the clients have shown conclusively
that the lawyers make a farce of the
room rent idea to the extent OF col.
lecting the room rent themselves in
their utter disregard of the law.
In addition to the regular charge
for their services, bills and state.
ments, gather by the writer, show
that once a divorce ac.
tion is started the lawyers sing the
chorus girls prayer of money,
money, money" and the client must
pay or loose what has already gone
inter the hopper.
Al the request of The Times Judge
Norton has briefed the law Of Vir.
ginia, showing in a paragraph the
rights of victims OF the ring, citing
a case on record where a party who
secured his divorce on false testi.
mony was found guilty Of bigamy,
for his second marriage.
Judge Norton's opinion is as fol.
lows:
ANY divorce obtained by false
can be set aside, OF course,
just like any other case of fraud.
Lii 'le for Perjury.
Amy party who testified falsely
can be prosecuted for perjury.
"One who induces another to com.
NIT perjury can be punished the same
as for perjury. ION this provision,
possibilities Of punishment for mem.
bers Of the ring, it is declared. are
likelyJ
The effect upon the marital re-
lations OF one who marries after
sopakinosd On Pass = Column ~