Evening star., 1936-04-17
Exact TwO-Thirds
Vote COnvicts on
"Scandal" Count.
AUSTIN CHALLENGES.
BUT is OVERRULED
Verdict Automatically
Removes 65.Year-Old
Jurist From Bench.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
Federal Judge Halsted L. Rit-
ter of Florida was convicted by
the Senate today on a House i'm
parchment charge that he had
brought his court into scandal
and disrepute."
The verdict automatically re-
moved the 65-year-old jurist
from the bench.
Conviction came on the seventh and
last ballot when the vote was Sc fol-
conviction to % against, exactly two
thirds of those voting, which was re-
quired under the Constitution for O
conviction.
Acquitted on Six.
On the first six articles Ritter was
acquitted, although on the first charge
that Ritter allowed an excessive fee
OF $4,000 to A. L. Rankin, former
law partner, in receivership case and
'corruptly" accepted $4,500 from Ran
kin afterward-the vote was SIS to 20
needing only single switch to change
the result.
Ritter had sat with arms folded
across his chest during the seven roll
calls, to which Senators answered
Guilty" or Not guilty.
Ritter walked slowly from the cham
Der after the roll call. Removing a
wrapper from a cigar, he said:
Il have nothing to say. God, you
can see why I have nothing to say
I'm going back to Florida"
He shook his head wearily as he
made this comment to reporters.
The last article combined all the
previous six in one and charged the
actions complained of had brought
Ritters court into scandal and dis
repute."
Austin Challenges Vote.
Senator Austin, Republican, of YER
mont Immediately challenged the final
vote, making a point of order that
Ritter could not under the law be con-
victed Of an omnibus" count when he
had been declared innocent of the
charges separately.
Austin contended such conviction, if
upheld, would be "monstrous.
Senator Robinson, the Democratic
leader held Austin was not in order
when he began a legal argument, and
Senator Pittman, Democrat, of Ne
vada, who was presiding, Upheld Rob-
inson.
Pittman then ruled Austin's point
was not well taken and Austin sat
down. Pittman said the last article
charged general misbehavior" and
was a separate count in itself.
Ritter. who sat throughout the vot-
Ing near the Vice Presidents rostrum,
apparently was unmoved by the de-
cision.
The Senate rejected unanimously a
proposal that Ritter be disbarred for
life from holding any position of
trust or honor"
Party lines were shattered both on
the first and final ballots. On the first,
the most serious charge Republicans,
At Democrats, l Progressive and l
Farmer-Labor voted for conviction.
Sixteen Republicans, IL Democrats
and l Farmer-Labor voted for &C.
quittal.
Ritter sat with his attorneys as the
Senate voted. A large gallery was on
hand. Before each ballot, the i'm
peachment article was read.
The second article charged Ritter
with conniving with Rankin and others
to bring on the Whitehall Hotel litiga-
tion and then dissipating the Palm
Beach hotels assets through fee al
lowances and other orders.
On this ballot, the vote was: For
conviction, So; for acquittal, 80. Five
Senators changed their votes, four
from conviction to acquittal and one,
King Of Utah, from mot guilty" to
guilty
The third accused him of violating
the Judicial code by practicing law,
(See RITTER. Page 81