Evening star., 1934-01-28
Noel Promises Cleanup In
"ScandaI Brewing Here
for Some Time."
GARNETT MAPS PROGRAM
TO REMEDY CONDITIONS
II. I. Quinn, Legal Profession Com.
mittee Head, Asks Aid of
Citizens.

The movement to wipe out the So
called bonding racket" in Washington
gathered momentum last night as r.
Regis Noel, newly elected president Of
the District Bar Association, announced
he had named an Investigating Com
mittee to separate the goats from the
sheep" In the legal profession and clean
up the 'cesspool and scandal which
has been brewing here for some time"
The Bar Association, Noel said hopes
to eliminate fee-splitting between law
yers and bondsmen and the Gaping
OF cases" for lawyers by bondsmen.
Gaping cases" is an expression used
to describe the reputed practice Of
certain bondsmen in persuading prison.
ers to engage a particular lawyer and
then splitting his fee with him.
Noel promised that the investigation
would be thorough and issued a warm
ing against any attempt at ''temporiz-
ing or whitewashing.
Garnett Studies Situation.
United States Attorney Leslie C. Gar
nett. who is known to be interested in
reports of collusion between some law
yers, bondsmen and policemen, said he
has made general survey of the situa-
ton and has formulated definite ideas
for remedial measures. but was not
ready to announce them at this time.
He said he Is considering set OF rules
and regulations to govern his staff Of
assistants in their relations with bonds
men, and promised vigorous prosecu-
tion If the Bar Association should un-
cover any evidence of criminal Activi-
ties in its investigation.
Henry I. Quinn, q member OF the
School Board and a prominent attor-
ney, has been named chairman of the
bar associations Investigating Com
mittee Other members are Louis Ot-
tenberg. vice chairman; H. H. Shinnick,
secretary: Sidney F. Taliaferro, a form
er District Commissioner: Joseph D.
Sullivan, Henry w. Sohon. Dean Hill
Stanley. Paul Sleman, Maurice D.
Rosenberg, Oliver Metzerott, Paul e.
Lesh and George p. Hoover, former
president of the association.
Quinn said the investigation would
be started at once. He denied that any
representative of the association had
asked for a senatorial investigation.
There is no need of a senatorial in
vestlgatlon into this situation" he de-
| clared. We can clean our own house"
Will Welcome Evidence.
The committee, he said will welcome
any information relative to the alleged
practices from any citizen of the Dis
trict. He said that any evidence of
unethical conduct by any lawyer will
be laid before the associations Griev-
ance Committee and that any cases of
criminal nature. such as fee-splitting,
Will be turned over to Garnett.
Noel said the conditions complained
Of have become acute lately and that
4 H. 10.
He pointed out that no member of the
Investigating Committee has any con-
nection with the Police Court, allegedly
the source Of most Of the Objectionable
practices.
Noel emphasized that he has no
apology to make for the local bar and
that all he, as president, is vitally in
terested in, is ferreting out those guilty
OF the bad condition. if it really exists,
with view first to benef1ting the pub
lie generally, and secondly, of uncover.
ing the undesirables in the profession.
The public. he said, must be careful not
to blame all lawyers because a very few
are disreputable. There are careless
and disgraceful members of every busi-
| ness or profession, and it would be
foolish to deny that there are some
among the lawyers, he added.
Noel gave assurances that the desig-
mated committee and every respectable
member of the bar is not only willing,
but eager to assist in the amelioration
of this condition, letting the chips fall
where they will. The Investigation, he
said, should be thorough and complete
and warned against temporizing or
whitewashing. Some few years ago
there were other charges in the same
connection to the effect that profess
sional bondsmen were executing bonds
in an amount far In excess of their per-
sonal worth. AS result of this shake
up. the courts passed rules limiting the
risks which the bondsmen should be
permitted to undertake.
Noel said that the most reliable in
formation coming to him. which he
does not hold out as being final, Is that
few lawyers are involved. The matter
came to his attention and to that Of
the bar association in the form Of a
complaint that no longer is there any
occupation for the lawyers in our GRIM
lnal courts, their functions having been
assumed by bondsmen. 'fixers" and
politicians. He said the head of one
long established law Office which al
ways conducts a proper practice and
which was generally we'll known as
having five or six hundred criminal
| cases constantly in charge. told him
that at the present time there were not
| more than IL or is such cases in his
Office.