The Winslow mail., 1926-04-23
INVESTIGATION
In SWEENEY CASE
IS COMPLETED

lnVeSL1SaClOn lnLO Ju0 Charges
brought for the disbarment of John
l.. Sweeney, Winslow attorney
which was started here month
ago, was completed yesterday be-
fore the committee appointed by
Judge j. F. Chambers of Stafford,
president of the State Bar Associa-
tio1s
.ahe hearing, which was started
here on March 26th at which the
prosecution introduced testimony
tending to prove that Sweeney had
been guilty of unethical acts in the
practice of law, particularly in OBJ
tanning of divorces, was continued,
due to the fact that insufficient
time had been arranged to intro
duce all testimony.
Practically the entire day We'd
nesday was taken up in the intro
duction of evidence by witnesses
for the defense, including testimony
of the accused attorney.
Practically all testimony submit
ted to the committee yesterday by
the defense was in refutation of
<srmer testimony submitted at the
pegianing of the hearing in which
it was sought to be shown that in
the procurement of divorces in
three cases in the Navajo county
Superior court at Holbrook, Swee-
ney had advised his clients to
swear that they had been in the
state one year, the required limit
of law, when they had not resided
here that long.
The particular cases in which
it was alleged these acts were COM
mitted were in the Dabbs, Parks
and Graham divorce cases, testi-
mony of the principals in each of
these cases having tended to prove
that the attorney, with knowledge
that his clients had not resided in
the county and state the statutory
time, had advised them to falsely
testify that they had lived here
year, resulting in the divorces be-
ing granted, and subsequently,
when the facts became known, the
DEGREES were set aside by the court
for want of jurisdiction. Several
affidavits had been filed by the par
ties to the divorce actions and test
imony in support of the affidavits
had been submitted last month to
the committee conducting the in
Vestigation.
At Wednesdays session the de-
fense objective was to prove that
the facts alleged were untrue and
we're prompted by personal ami
Eiosity toward the accused man.
In lengthy direct examination
Sweeney entered denial to all
charges against him, going into de-
tail relative to each specific charge.
His testimony tended to show to
the committee that in the Dabbs
case, Mrs. Dabbs had misrepre-
sented to him the length of her
residence in the state, and Mrs.
VIM. Hubbard, a stenographer in
his office at that time and Mrs.
Wolf, who accompanied Mrs. Dabbs
on one visit to Sweeney's office.
corroborated this phase of the tes-
timony, although Mrs. Hudson, on
the stand previously had testified
in corroberation of the testimony
of Mrs. Dabbs that Sweeney told
Mrs. Dabbs call his divorces were
A.Doked."
In the Graham case, Mrs. Swee-
ney, wife of the accused man, test
flied corroborating that of her hus
band that Graham had falsified to
him in presenting the facts to him
at the time his suit was filed. Ora
hor hod cJx cd
sworn to affidavits that Sweeney
had advised him to prejure him
self in swearing to the length of
time he had lived here.
A Mrs. Huddleston, who had pre-
viously corroborated Graham, was
unavailable as witness at We'd
nesday's hearing, when the defense
announced she could not be found.
Wednesday w. A. Charles also
testified that Mrs. Dabbs had told
him few days previous that she
had misrepresented the facts to
Sweeney in giving him information
on her divorce case. Mrs. Dabbs,
put on the stand by the defense,
admitted she had told Charles
something to that effect and direct
and redirect examination as well
as questioning by the committee
on this point consumed much of
the morning session.
A number of local residents also
testified as to the good character
and standing of Sweeney as a citi-
zen.
No rebuttal of evidence offered
by the defense was submitted by
sShe prosecution and the hearing
was completed shortly after 400
o'clock, the committee announcing
that following completion of the
transcript they will pass on the
case.
County Attorney P. A Sawyer
and Assistant Don Udall, repre-
sented the prosecution and Judge
P. w. O'Sullivan of Prescott, rep
resented the defendant.
Should the committee consisting
of Judge ]. E. Jones, Frank Harri
son and G. B. Wilson of Flagstaff,
decide that the accused attorney is
not guilty of unethical practice,
that will end the case, but should
they decide that Sweeney is guilty
as charged, the committee will rec