Evening star., 1961-06-26
False Lawyers Suit
Declared MistniaI
District Court
Seeks to Prevent
Recurrence
BY PHIL THOMAS
Star Staff Writer

n OlStElcL COuEb Judge COudy
declared a mistrial in an auto
accident damage case because
the plaintiffs attorney is now
being sought by the FBI on q
charge of fraudulently posing
as a lawyer.
Judge Edward M. Curran took
this action in the wake Of the
disappearance of the fugitive,
Daniel Jackson Oliver Wendell
Holmes Morgan, who had posed
here as an attorney named 81.
A. Harris" during the last 18
months.
Another aftermath of Nor
gan's disappearance was q
meeting called today by Chief
District Court Judge David A.
Pine. Judge Pine met with
members Of the court staff and
with a subcommittee of the
courts Committee on Admis-
sions and Grievances.
Judge Pine said the group
explored ways and means to
prevent a recurrence" of such
an impersonation.
Other Courts Approached
He said that those who met
with him today are giving
prompt attention" to this mat
ter, checking with other court
jurisdictions in the country in
an effort to determine what
safeguards may have been de-
veloped to prevent bogus law
yers from practicing.
Judge Pine also said there
are about eight cases on the
current court calendar in which
Morgan had entered an ap-
pearance as an attorney. The
judge added that on Friday
he will call in defendants in
these cases to see if new law
yers can be found to represent
them.
Earlier today, a Washington
man convicted of armed rob-
berry asked that his conviction
be reversed because he was
represented at trial by Morgan.
Charles R. Richey, represent
Morgan.
The request was filed by
Charles R. Richey. represent
ing Cyril G. Ivey, who had been
convicted in District Court here.
Mr.. Richey, asking the United
States Court of Appeals to
grant his client a new trial,
called attention to newspaper
stories about the Nation wide
FBI alert ordered Friday for
Morgan.
Morgan disappeared from
the District Wednesday or
Thursday.
Illinois Reversal Noted
The court-appointed attorney
for Ivey noted that in 1857 the
Illinois Supreme Court ordered
a new trial in a case where
Morgan-then allegedly prac-
ticing in Chicago under the
name of Edward A. Simmons
had represented a convicted
man.
The Illinois court acted on
the ground that the defendant
had a constitutional right to
counsel with representation by
a licensed attorney, not an at
torney in fact or a layman."
Morgan fled Chicago in 1855
after a. Federal Judge there
ordered an investigation Of his
activities as a practicing attpr-
ney. The fugitive was arrested
. in 1857 in Los Angeles, where
he had also been practicing as
s lawyer, according to the FBI.
, Subsequently he was returned
to Chicago, tried for contempt
; of court, and sentenced to
serve six months in a Federal
penitentiary in Michigan.
; The request for the new trial
filed by Mr.. Richey today is
! one of a number that are ex-
: pected.
! Clients whom Morgan rep
, resented successfully in that
. they were acquitted are not in
!. volved, since it would place
! them in double jeopardy to try
them again.
Meanwhile, an FBI spokes-
man said the search for "Har-
ris" is continuing, but so far
without result.
In a possibly related Develop
ment, officials at Municipal
Court today received kilograms
alleging that two other attor-
neys practicing there have
criminal records.
The person listed as the tele-
grams sender, contacted by
telephone, said he did not
know either L. A. Harris or the
two lawyers listed by name in
the messages.