212 F. 801 | 6th Cir. | 1914
Charles H. Thatcher was an attorney and counselor of the Supreme Court of Ohio and of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and of this court. The Supreme Court of Ohio found him guilty of professional misconduct and disbarred him. A transcript of that action was presented to this court and a motion made for the entry of a similar order here. That motion was founded wholly upon the action of the Supreme Court of Ohio and did not independently charge the existence of those facts upon which the order of that court depended. This court, Judges Furfon, Severens, and Warrington sitting, held, upon the authority of Ex parte Tillinghast, 4 Pet. 108, 7 L. Ed. 798, that the proposed
We must first pass upon a motion made by the prosecuting committee to dismiss both appeal and writ of error. This motion is based upon the theory that only by mandamus can we review a disbarment order, and hence the motion denies that such an order is included within the classification, “Final decisions of the District Courts in all cases other than those in which appeals and writs of error may be taken direct to the Supreme Court,” found in the statutory grant to this court of jurisdiction to review by appeal or by writs of error. Section 128, Judicial Code; Act March 3, 1911, c. 231, 36 Stat. 1133 (U. S. Comp. St. Supp. 1911, p. 194).
“The order disbarring them or subjecting them to fine or imprisonment is not reviewabie by writ of error; it not being a judgment in the sense of the law for which this writ will lie.”
This pronouncement applies as well to orders inflicting fine or imprisonment as to orders of disbarment; and, as to the former, the reference must be to punishments inflicted in contempt proceedings. Hence these decisions amount only to holding that neither appeal nor writ of error would lie to enable the Supreme Court to review contempt or disbarment orders. This is clearly true, since the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, ón appeal or writ of error, was always limited to “civil actions where the matter in dispute exceeds the sum or value of” a certain amount (section 13, c. 20, 1 Stat. 565, Act of Sept. 24, 1789; R. S. § 691); until the Act of March 3, 1891, c. 517, 26 Stat. 828 (U. S. Comp. St. 1901, p. 549), section 6 of which substituted “in all cases” for “in civil actions,” but retained a minimum value limitation. The effect of these limitations was that the court
We find no exact precedent. The Circúit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit heard such a case on writ of error (Cobb v. U. S., 172 Fed. 641, 96 C. C. A. 477), but the precise point was not made (Barnes v. Lyons, 187 Fed. 881, 886, 110 C. C. A. 15). In the state courts, there is a multitude of cases. Review of disbarment orders has been had by writ of error, by appeal, by mandamus, and by cer-. tiorari, often without any discussion as to the proper remedy, and often evidently by virtue of special statutory provisions. We get no help from these decisions, save as demonstrating the universality of some suitable appellate remedy.
The choice of method, as between appeal and writ of error, is not clear, but we think the analogy is closer to contempt proceedings than to the deportation hearing, and it is clear that neither the hearing nor the final order was distinctively on the equity side of the court of involved a controversy within ordinary equitable jurisdiction. We therefore hold that error, and not appeal, is the proper remedy. Parish v. Ellis, 16 Pet. 451, 454, 10 L. Ed. 1028; Ormsby v. Webb, 134 U. S. 47, 65, 10 Sup. Ct. 478, 33 L. Ed. 805; Rode & Horn v. Phipps (C. C. A. 6) 195 Fed. 414, 419, 115 C. C. A. 316. It follows that the appeal is dismissed, and the motion to’ dismiss the writ of error is denied.
“Your committee charges that said matters, of which said Charles A. Thatcher was so found and adjudged guilty, are and constitute malpractice and sufficient to strike the name of the said Charles A. Thatcher from the rolls of this court.”
In overruling the demurrer to this charge and in the course of the hearing on this subject-matter, it was the theory of the District Judge, repeatedly announced, that, while the mere judgment of the state
This brings us to what we may call the merits of the case, the question whether the proofs justified the final order, and we will briefly review the evidence on the respective charges.
The circular carries, on its title page, a picture of the “legless cripple” whom Judge Morris has “thrown out of court,” and first gives a résumé (untrue in part) of the Gravelle case. It says that Judge Morris is a “foe of jury trials” and of “human rights,” and that “for 14 years he has held for defendant in the case ‘Man v. Dollars.’ ” Over a picture of the widow and children of a railroad man killed at his work, and with reference to whose death Judge Morris had held there was no liability, it has the caption, “No Jury Trial for Them;” and it prints, in contrast, pictures of the “Residence and Stables of Judge Morris” and of the “Cottage Rented by H. Gravelle.” It says that to direct verdicts for the corporations and trusts was a “plan to undermine the jury system” and “has been a favorite practice of Judge Morris.” “Many times has he thrust juries to one side and decided in favor of railroads, traction companies, and the corporations which are so careful of dollars and so careless of life and limb.” Having made these general charges, the circular proceeds to its proofs; “from the records of a hundred cases, we select a few at random.” Then follows Gravelle’s statement, composed by Thatcher, in which Gravelle is made to say:
“My family and I have nearly starved. * * * Judge Morris is living in a mansion. * * * X want to save other poor cripples from his power. * * * ”
Then are cited brief particulars of 10 personal injury cases against corporations in which Judge Morris had directed verdicts for defendant. On another page it is said:
“Gravelle’s case and the others are only a few among many. Some of them are as follows.”
Then follow two parallel columns,, one headed “Corporations Deprived of Jury Trial by Judge Morris,” and entirely blank; the other headed “Human Beings Deprived of Jury Trial by Judge Morris,” and containing the docket numbers of '70 cases besides the 10 already mentioned.
Here is a charge in substance and effect that Judge Morris habitually and commonly and because of his hostility to the jury system directs verdicts for the defendant in personal injury cases against corporations; that the records show 100 such cases, 80 of which are identified by number. The intention is too plain for doubt to have the reader understand that the judge did this, not because it was the law or because he thought it was the law, but because of hostility to the jury system and favoritism to corporations — dishonorable and dishonest motives. The truth was that, in this class of cases, the judge had directed verdicts for defendant not more than twice a year on the average, that the 10 described cases had been selected from more than 20,000 cases in the common pleas courts, and from more than 2,000 cases by Judge Morris, and that the 70 further cases specifically identified were, it is true, instances of verdicts directed for defendant, but they were mostly not against corporations; they included, cases
Another paragraph of the circular was entitled “Law is Against the Unfortunate,” and says:
“ ‘The law is against the unfortunate,’ said'Judge Morris in one ease where he directed a verdict. * * * In Judge Morris’ court, the law is against the unfortunate only because Judge Morris considers it and declares it against the unfortunate.”
The only pretended foundation for this charge is that, in directing a verdict upon the ground of contributory negligence (or assumed risk), the judge had once said that, in this particular, the law was against the unfortunate. The implication that the judge had not applied the established rule, but some new and vicious rule of his own, átands without justification.
Another charge to which much space is given is that Judge Morris was “an injunction judge.” The circular recites that the street railway company’s franchise will soon expire and the company will want injunctions against the city and that it knows by electing Judge Morris it “will have a friendly judge ready to issue the injunction and tie the city’s hands.” The'language used in this part of the circular in connection with other parts and with the large type headings, “Purify the Bench,” “Standard Oil Influence,” “Know Their Friend,” etc., aré an allegation that the judge had been and would be ready to issue injunctions, not because of the law, but because of some favoritism to these corporations. There is no effort to justify this allegation. An illustration of the circular’s method of telling untruths is this: The truth was that an injunction bill had been presented to the judge,' who had required some defect to be supplied before he would act upon it, the correction had been made, and he indorsed the bill, “Injunction allowed as prayed.” The circular says:
“Union officials say. that the judge went so far as to suggest to the attorney how to make his petition stronger. * * * He- did not even draw his own order, but simply wrote down, ‘Injunction allowed as prayed.’ The.corporation attorneys say they drew the order as strong and as broad as possible.”
We have sufficiently reviewed the circular. (It may be seen in full in Re Thatcher, 80 Ohio St. 561, 581, 89 N. E. 39.) The argument that it is not libelous or is not untruthful depends upon the mistaken view that it cannot be condemned if skilled dialectitians can point out how each sentence or half sentence, standing alone, is not necessarily inconsistent with the facts. It is impossible to consider such a publication from that standpoint. It was drafted by Mr. Thatcher and his associates, skilled in the nice use of language and in the leaving of pegs whereon they might hang technical justifications; it was prepared and published to be read by and to. influence a class of the community not skilled in these things, and which would take it to mean what it seemed to mean; and it must be read against its composers with the same meaning which they intended its readers should' draw. Its authors clearly intended that the voters should take it as a charge that Judge Morris was and would be a corrupt tool for the corporations, directing verdicts and granting injunctions in their favor without caring for the right of the case; and they supported this charge by statements of fractional truths which constitute the worst kind of falsehood. It cannot be considered as if it had been put before an audience of lawyers who would not be misled by its absurdities, or as if composed by laymen who could be excused by their ignorance. True, the use of the word “corrupt” and a direct, square charge of corruption are industriously avoided, but in a libel suit, it would be for the jury to say whether the charge was made by innuendo; and an intelligent jury could give but one answer to that question.
Giving this meaning to the circular, there is no attempt to show either that it was true or that Mr. Thatcher had any reasonable grounds to believe it was true; nor can it be disputed that Mr. Thatcher’s doings relating thereto were gross professional misconduct. Ex parte Wall, 107 U. S. 265, 2 Sup. Ct. 569, 27 L. Ed. 552; U. S. v. Green (C. C. Col.) 85 Fed. 857; Cobb v. U. S. (C. C. A. 9) 172 Fed. 641, 96 C. C. A. 477; Myers v. State, 46 Ohio St. 473, 489, 22 N. E. 43, 15 Am. St. Rep. 638.
As to charge 2,.these things are the undisputed facts:
Obviously this conduct cannot be squared with any high professional standard; but Milburn had, at one time, said he was willing (if himself protested) that Reiter and Thatcher should have all they could collect from Hudson, and Mr. Thatcher may have thought he could so manipulate the matter as to guard Milburn against ultimate harm from the judgment to be obtained by Reiter. In view of these last considerations, and if the matter is to be treated on the theory that whatever rightstthere were under the notes really belonged to Mil-burn, we are not satisfied that the bringing of suit thereon in Reiter’s name, as if they were wholly unpaid, of itself called for so severe a penalty as disbarment; but before leaving this subject we must notice the position in which Mr. Thatcher is put by the matter he now presents as a complete defense on this charge, viz.: That a jury has found a verdict for plaintiff in Reiter v. Hudson. Under the unquestioned situation so far recited, there was only one possible theory which could fully justify the prosecution of the Reiter suit on these notes for their full amount. That theory was first put forward by Mr. Thatcher in evidence which he offered in the Supreme Court, but which was not admitted (perhaps because in conflict with his answer) ; the same theory was embodied in the reply prepared and filed on behalf of Reiter in the suit so prosecuted after Hudson had answered and claimed that the notes had been paid and transferred to Milburn by the Milburn-Murray transactions; and upon that theory alone was based the judgment which Reiter in that case did eventually recover for the'full amount of the notes. This theory was that Mil-burn knew the Murray notes and collateral to be practically worthless, that Reiter was deceived and defrauded in this exchange, and that, because of such fraud, Reiter had the right to rescind and had rescinded the exchange; and his later assertion of title/in the notes depended on this fraud and this rescission. We may even accept'Mr.
Several other errors are assigned besides those which involve the merits of the case and which we have discussed. It is not necessary to consider them in detail. We have examined these complaints, and we see no reason to think that there was any prejudicial error, or that the charges were not fairly tried, or that the finding of the court essentially rests upon anything not in the record.
We do not intend, by this opinion, any intimation that such an order as this can be set aside by writ of error in any case where there is evidence -fairly tending to support the ultimate finding, or that the rule is different from that obtaining in ordinary trials before a United States District Judge without a jury. Mason v. Smith (C. C. A. 6) 191 Fed. 502, 112 C. C. A. 146. We have thought best in this case to consider the complaints more at large, but it need form no precedent in similar cases.
It is brought to our attention that, pending this writ of error, the Supreme Court of Ohio has readmitted Mr. Thatcher. That has no bearing here. If 'in due time an application is made in the District
The appeal is dismissed; and, on the writ of error, the order below is affirmed, without costs.
Another charge, which the District Court found not sustained, is not here recited.