Lead Opinion
This is a proceeding instituted in this court for the disbarment of Morris Oppenheim, an attorney and counselor, for -conduct involving moral turpitude. Defendant was at all the times mentioned in the accusation one of the police judges of the city and county of San Francisco, and, as in the case of San Francisco Bar Assn. v. Sullivan, 185 Cal. 621, [198 Pac. 7], all the charges against him are for acts and conduct on his part with relation to matters coming before him as such police judge. Three separate specific charges against the accused are made by the accusation. The accused denied the truth of each charge. By order of the court, the evidence in support of and against the charges was taken by the chief justice, and the transcript of the evidence taken has received full consideration at the hands of each member of the court.
The specific charge mainly relied on is the first in order in the accusation, being with relation to the conduct of the accused in a matter pending before him as a committing magistrate, in which one George Imperiale was charged with the crime of manslaughter. The charge is that wMle this matter was so pending before him, the accused entered into a conspiracy and agreement with one Peter P. McDonough wherein and whereby it was understood and agreed that accused, as police judge, should make such orders in regard to the bail of Imperiale that the latter would be induced to discharge his then attorney, one John V. Filippini, and employ in his place 0. Vincent Biccardi, and also to pay for attorney fees and his release from custody and for the dismissal of the case five hundred dollars, of which sum Mc-Donough was to receive a part; that, in pursuance of such corrupt agreement, accused, on April 24, 1919, first made an order fixing the bail at five thousand dollars bond or two thousand five hundred dollars cash, and subsequently on the same day made an order holding Imperiale without bail, thus inducing Imperiale to discharge Filippini from Ms employment and to employ Biccardi in Ms place, and that then accused made a third order, fixing the bail at one thousand dollars, which amount was furnished by Mc-Donough, and Imperiale thereupon released; and that on
Imperiale, who was engaged in the business of running an auto stage or truck, had, in operating his car, run into and killed a child. The charge of manslaughter was based upon his alleged negligence in this matter. In so far as the dismissal of the charge by accused is concerned, it is not claimed that the accused was not fully justified in his action by the facts. No effort was made by the accuser to show what an investigation of the facts disclosed. Mr. George B. Keane, an attorney employed by the parents of the dead child, testified that he fully investigated the facts, and concluded that there was no case against Imperiale. It is undisputed that in open court he so stated to the accused judge and asked that the matter be dismissed. In so far as the record shows, there was no probable cause shown for believing Imperiale to be guilty of the crime with which he was charged, and the dismissal was proper.
It is solely in connection with the matter of the bail of Imperiale that anything improper appears. Imperiale, an ignorant foreigner, was in custody on the charge of manslaughter, having been arrested the night before. Biceardi had such information as to lead him to the conclusion that he had some property and sufficient resources to enable him to pay a large amount of money to gain his liberty. Here was a fertile field for development in the eyes of Biceardi. An intervening obstacle to such development was the presence in the ease of Mr. John V. Filippini as the attorney of Imperiale. Mr. Filippini was an attorney at law of good repute, without much police court or criminal practice experience, who as a lawyer had previously done some business for Imperiale and had! his confidence. In consequence of this he had been engaged to appear for him in this matter, and was, with Mrs. Imperiale, in and about the Hall of Justice and the courtroom of accused on the morning of April 24th, when Imperiale was first brought into court to answer to the charge, engaged in an effort to obtain the release of Imperiale on bail. It was consid
There can be no doubt that Imperiale and his wife and Filippini were prevailed upon to believe that Filippini could do nothing for Imperiale in that court, and that with the assent of Imperiale, Filippini withdrew from the case, and Riceardi took charge. Except for the continued representations and insinuations by Riceardi as to his ability to accomplish results and the lack of knowledge of Filippini as to how things must be done in order to obtain favorable results in that court, the potent consideration leading the parties to the conclusion that Filippini could do nothing was certain information given them as to an alleged change made by the accused in the matter of the bail. It is the alleged willful participation by the accused with Riceardi in this matter, as well as in the original fixing of bail, that is mainly relied on by the accuser.
Riceardi’s story is, in brief, substantially as follows: All his dealings in the matter were with McDonough, and at no time did he speak to the accused about the case. Before court convened on the morning of April 24, 1919, he went to McDonough’s place of business and acquainted him with the prospect of mutual gain in the Imperiale case in the event that he was employed as attorney in place of Filippini. McDonough agreed to help and Riceardi divulged his plan, which was to have the judge fix the bail at so high a figure as to make it impossible for Filippini to obtain it. McDonough said he would communicate with the judge at once. Riceardi went back to the courtroom, arriving there before court was convened. After the accused took his place on the bench for the disposition of the business of the day’s calendar, application was made by Filippini for the fixing of bail in the Imperiale case. The judge fixed it at five thousand dollars bond or two thousand five hundred dollars cash. Filippini left the courtroom saying that he would endeavor to obtain it. . Ric
This story is absolutely uncorroborated in so far as any competent evidence directly implicating the accused is concerned. Moreover, in certain essential details it is opposed, in our opinion, to a clear preponderance of the testimony, altogether regardless of the denials under oath of both accused and McDonough. The latter denies that he had anything whatever to do with the case, beyond furnishing on application, in the course of his business, the money to be deposited as bail, and says he never communicated with the accused in relation to the case. The accused testified that McDonough never communicated with him about the case, and denied that he ever made any “no bail order” or said anything about such an order to anyone. He further testified that having first fixed the cash
In so far as appears, except for Riccardi’s testimony there is nothing to suggest even a suspicion of wrongdoing in the matter of the original fixing of bail. When the application was made by Mr. Filippini, the accused said he would have to wait for the arresting officer’s statement. When the officer arrived, he told the accused that the case was a serious one, of deliberately running down a little boy and killing him. He also said something about previous negligent driving by Imperiale. The accused then made the order, and when Filippini protested and said it should be reduced to one thousand dollars, somewhat impatiently said the order had been made and would stand. This is, in substance, the testimony of Mr. Filippini. To us, in view of the seriousness of the charge and the statement of the arresting officer, the amount so fixed does not appear excessive—certainly not so excessive as to suggest improper motive. Much is made of the fact that on cross-examination the accused could not remember ever having fixed so high an amount of bail in a case of involuntary manslaughter, and that he admitted that in the ordinary case of this character, where generally the party charged was the employee of some person of known responsibility, the bail was fixed at a sum which appears to us absurdly low. But here it is not disputed that neither Mr. Filippini nor Imperiale was known to the accused, and, according to Mr. Filippini’s testimony, the officer’s statement was such as to make the matter seem very serious in so far as the defendant therein was concerned.
As to the alleged subsequent order of “no bail” there is no competent evidence whatever. Of course such an order would be absolutely without warrant in law in any but a capital case, and if there were any competent evidence showing the making of such an order by accused, or the willful doing of anything for the purpose of making Filippini believe that such an order had been made, it would constitute most substantial corroboration of Ric
It is, however, in respect to the final order on bail, the order fixing the bail at one thousand dollars cash, that the story of Riecardi is opposed to the clear preponderance of the evidence. This was the order said by him to be made after Filippini’s withdrawal and his own employment, and became of such change in attorneys. It is the testimony of all that this change in attorneys was not consented to until after court had adjourned for the day and the accused had left the courtroom. To obtain a reduction of tlie bail at that stage, it is admitted that it was essential to obtain an order fixing the bail at the reduced sum, signed by the judge, which, when deposited in the office of the bond and warrant clerk with the amount of bail so fixed, would authorize that officer to issue an order of release. Such an order, we have seen, Riecardi testified he obtained at McDonough’s place of business. No such order has been produced. Furthermore, no one, except Riecardi, testified that he ever saw any such order. Mrs. Imperiale, who accompanied Riecardi to McDonough’s place of. business, would not testify that she saw or was told of any such order. In passing it may be said that Riecardi’s visit to McDonough’s place at this stage is entirely explainable upon the theory that it was for the purpose of securing the one thousand dollars to deposit as cash bail. Filippini testified that he was not shown any such order. There is absolutely no scrap of affirmative evidence, except that given by Riecardi, to the effect that any such signed order ever was in existence. And in so far as the official record evi
The two remaining charges are that accused in each of two matters pending before him as a committing magistrate, one being the case of L. Ysussi, charged with assault with intent to commit murder, and the other being the case of G-. Pasquale, charged with assault with intent to commit rape, agreed to receive, and did receive, a bribe of one hundred dollars from Peter P. McDonough upon the corrupt understanding and agreement that he should thereby be corruptly and unlawfully influenced in the decision of the ease, and that he was thereby corruptly and unlawfully influenced to dismiss, and did dismiss, each of said cases corruptly and unlawfully. As to both these charges, the only direct evidence of guilt on the part of accused is that of Riccardi, the attorney for the defendant in each case. He testified as to an arrangement in each case with McDonough, to whom he agreed to pay one hun
We desire to say that we fully appreciate the motive of the Bar Association in instituting this prosecution, as well as that in the Sullivan case, and the courteous and able assistance given us on the trials by the committee conducting it. We are fully aware that nothing but a most commendable desire to rid the bar of members believed by the members of the association to be unworthy prompted the making of the charges, and it may well be that their reasons for their belief were well based.
Shaw, J., Wilbur, J., and Lennon, J., concurred.
Olney, J., and Sloane, J., dissented.
Dissenting Opinion
I dissent. According to the evidence of the accuser, Riccardi, in the corridor before court convened, was told ¡by the officer who made the arrest about Imperiale and his owning three Pierce^Arrow automobiles.- Riccardi scented the chance to work the system, so he immediately went to McDonough’s and, upon a promise to share the fruits of the enterprise with him, enlisted his co-operation. Riccardi then went to the courtroom, where he was a witness of the proceedings. When the accused came on the bench the case was called but the determination of Mr. Filippini’s application for bail was deferred until the officer appeared. The statement of the officer that it was a serious case, which was accepted by the accused, and the order of bail of five thousand dollars bonds or two thousand five hundred dollars cash followed. Mr. Filippini took issue with the statement of the officer and addressing the court stated he had known the defendant, that he was a responsible man, and applied for lower bail. The accused, in a loud voice, answered, “That is the order.” Mr. Filippini replied, “Very well, if that is the case I will see if I can raise it.” Riccardi promptly returned to McDonough and informed Mm that Mr. Filippini was going to secure bail, and said McDonough had better send word to the judge to order higher ¡bail, or no bail. This McDonough promised to do. A man at once left McDonough’s office to go to the courtroom and Riccardi followed Mm. When Riccardi reached the courtroom he observed McDonough’s man speak to the accused at the bench, and presently, as the accused was leaving the courtroom, he stopped to speak to Clerk Kane. Neither of these conversations was heard by Riccardi. Riccardi next proceeded to try to get the case. He first had a conversation with Mrs. Imperiale outside the courtroom, the gist of wMch was that for five hundred dollars he would secure bail and Imperiale’s release in ten or fifteen minutes; he also promised a dismissal of the case without a trial on the merits.
The ultimate question to be decided is whether Riecardi’s testimony is sufficiently corroborated to warrant an inference that the accused was a guilty participant in the scheme to eliminate Mr. Filippini from the case and fleece Imperiale out of five hundred dollars.
From my own analysis of the evidence I am convinced it is shown not only that the accused had a hand in victimizing Imperiale, ¡but that the fraud could not have succeeded without his co-operation. Riecardi, like a bird of prey, was waiting in the hall of justice for something to turn up, especially among his own countrymen. He testified he did not know Imperiale. Somebody having knowledge of the case, therefore, must have told him about it and that Imperiale had property. It is not suggested how he got the information, if it was not from the officer. The officer said he bad known Riecardi slightly for three years, that Riecardi first broached the subject, asking him if Imperiale was charged with manslaughter. It is conceded Imperiale was not to blame for the death of the child, and the question arises, Why did the arresting officer report to the accused it was a serious case? Did the accused know about the charge against Imperiale when he convened court ? It was the custom of the accused, according to his own testimony, to reach the neighborhood of the Hall of Justice half an hour before court time. He admitted that on such occasions he sometimes conversed with McDonough at or in front of his place of business about cases that came before him, but he made the same qualification as did the accused in the Sullivan disbarment proceeding—they never mentioned felony cases. I shall not repeat what I said in that case about McDonough’s activities in the police courts as a professional bail-bond broker and his relationship with Sullivan, for the majority opinion states the same conditions prevailed between the accused and McDonough. I am sure no member of this court doubts that McDonough would speak to the accused about any case before him if he had any interest in it, and it is idle to think he did not speak to him about the Imperiale ease. The accused and McDonough deny they saw each other that morning, or that the case was ever mentioned between them. In regard
With regard to the statement of Clerk Kane to Mr. Filippini that the court made a “no-bail” order: The testimony of Mr. Filippini is sufficient to prove it was made to him, and to corroborate Riccardi’s testimony on the point, notwithstanding the bailiff testified that while he was in close proximity to Clerk Kane at the time he did not hear the conversation. I do not agree with the majority opinion that it is as probable Clerk Kane made the statement to assist Riccardi as it is that it implicated the accused. To my mind, the more natural inference, and the one more in
Now, as to the final order of bail: It will not be questioned that if the accused only pretended to make the original order of bail it would follow that McDonough also dictated the final order. The two events stand or fall together. The accused knew that Mr. Filippini had left the courtroom to raise the original bail and that he made no report to the court. It is not disputed the final order was made without any reference to this circumstance. Furthermore, it is plain the Imperiales and Mr. Filippini, when they learned of the no-bail order, despaired of securing bail except through the medium of Riccardi, for the substitution of attorneys immediately followed. It is clear that if Riccardi was not responsible for McDonough having the final order made it- must have been made without regard to Mr. Filippini and the Imperiales, for, as I have shown, the accused had curtly denied the application for lower bail and Mr. Filippini had left the courtroom to secure bail on the original order.
It also appeared that the relations between Riccardi and Mr. Coghlan were of an intimate character, for at that time he was representing Riccardi personally in a criminal action and had been associated with him in other professional employment. Every reason is seen why he should be able to recall the circumstances, especially as it appears that he testified in a grand jury investigation of the Imperiale case about a year before he gave testimony in this proceeding. He does not even intimate that he gave the bail to the warrant and bond clerk, or that he had anything to do with the issuance of the order of release, or its presentation at the city prison. I am satisfied from the evidence that he never had anything to do with the matter of obtaining the order or securing the one thousand dollars bail money; that it was an invention pure and -simple, and that he was brought into the proceeding to save the accused and McDonough, with whom for years he has been on terms of friendship. If Riccardi’s testimony is entirely left out of view, and the transaction as it is revealed in the testimony of Mrs. Imperiale and Mr. Filippini is considered, this affirmative defense cannot stand. It throws out of balance every other circumstance in the case. Mr. Coghlan does not claim he spoke to either of the Imperiales or Mr. Filippini at that time, and the accused admits he did not mention to Mm that Mr. Filippini was representing Imperiale and had left the courtroom to get bail. The truth doubtless is that pressing Mr. Coghlan into service in this proceeding came as an afterthought. It appears that Ms connection with the Imperiale case got into the newspapers during the grand jury investigation; that one day in February, 1920, when he came home at 1 o’clock in the morning, the accused and McDonough were waiting for Mm in front of his house, and that the following Sunday he visited Riccardi at Los Gatos. He demes, however, that this visit had anything to do with the investigation. It is equally clear to me that the accused put Mr. Coghlan forward because of his conceded connection with the Imperiale case in the expectation that Ms testi
But if the testimony of Mr. Coghlan lacked definiteness, that of the accused and McDonough is not open to the same comment, for it is plain they have not hesitated in their testimony to state that the bail was effected through Mr. Coghlan, Unquestionably this testimony is willfully false and furnishes corroboration of the story told by Riecardi. Innocent men do not commit perjury, nor seek to induce others to do so, and under a familiar rule of evidence their entire testimony should be distrusted. So far as their testimony is concerned, that of Riecardi should stand as undenied. It is worthy of note that when the accused was examined by the grand jury he made no reference to Mr. Coghlan making application for bail. The bailiff of the court testified that he saw Mr. Coghlan approach the accused while he was on the bench that morning and speak to him. On cross-examination he stated that within a few minutes after Mr. Coghlan left the accused told him to make the bail one thousand dollars. “Q. At that time did you connect Mr. Coghlan with the reduction of the bail? A. I did not at that time, but I did very soon afterward. Q. How soon afterward ? A. Well, I saw Mr. Coghlan in the case and then when the case came up there was a question of bail. I always did believe—I don’t know—that Mr. Coghlan had that bail fixed. ... I believe it. I don’t know it.” His attention was called to his testimony before the grand jury where he answered “Not that I know of’’when he was asked if anyone else made application for a reduction of bail after the first order was made; also that he answered “I would not” when he was asked if he would know the man who asked to reduce the bail. “The Court: You testified that way before the grand jury? A. I did. Q. Mr. Webb wanted to know why you didn’t tell them that you knew it was Mr. Coghlan? A. I didn’t know it was Mr. Coghlan and I don’t know it now.”
The main opinion does not discuss this affirmative defense, as such. It does, however, suggest that Riecardi going to McDonough’s when he claimed he obtained the bail order signed by the accused “is entirely explainable upon the theory that it was for the purpose of securing the one thousand dollars to deposit as cash bail.” This is at once a eon-
I have expressed myself in the Sullivan disbarment proceeding to the effect that Riecardi testified under conditions peculiarly calculated to induce him to tell the truth. I also referred to the system which prevailed in the police courts at the time material here and the evil influence a professional bail-bond broker like McDonough would exercise upon the administration of justice. All that I said then applies with equal force in this proceeding. Yet we are urged to believe that in the Imperiale case, where McDonough’s money was at stake, the subject was never mentioned by him to the accused. Inferences are just as much evidence as are the facts from which they may be drawn, and the irresistible inference arising from the entire evidence is the inference which the Imperiales and Mr. Filippini drew from the action and bearing of the accused, the statement of Clerk Kane, the securing of lower bail by Riecardi, his production of the bail money, and the release of the prisoner—that Riecardi was dealing with forces superior to the law itself. I cannot see that there can be any ground for doubt that the accused was apprised of the Imperiale case before he went on the bench that morning, that the amount of bail was unusual for Mm to set, that he resented Mr. Filippini’s remarks and his insistence on lower bail, that he advisedly refrained from entering the bail order in his docket, that he made the bail order
In the face of the inferences, which indisputably arise from the evidence viewed in its entirety, Riccardi’s testimony assumes a secondary importance—the silent and impressive circumstances surrounding the transaction indubitably showing that while Riccardi never spoke to the accused about the case, the stealthy influence of McDonough was at work. The vital question in the case is, Why did the accused make the final order of bail? The majority opinion does not purport to rely on the testimony of the three principal figures in this defense—it does not deem Mr. Coghlan’s testimony of material assistance and, with the exception of the one allusion to that of the accused, it ignores both his testimony and McDonough’s on the point. Concededly, if this defense were established the case of the accuser would fail. On the other hand, if it was founded on perjury no question of the sufficiency of the evidence to corroborate Riccardi’s testimony should remain. The main opinion concludes that the testimony of Riccardi implicating the accused is ‘‘absolutely uncorroborated,” and it further holds that in certain essential details it is opposed to a clear preponderance of the evidence independently of the denials of the accused and McDonough. This' position rests upon three propositions—there was no suggestion of wrongdoing in the fixing of the original -bail, there is no competent evidence that a “no-bail” order was made, and, apart from the testimony of the accused and Mc-Donough, and accepting everything Mr. Filippini testified to as true, the clear preponderance of the evidence is to the effect there was no signed order fixing the final bail, but that it was made before the accused left the courtroom. The first two propositions have been discussed by me, and I shall now consider the third.
It is to be noted the opinion does not state upon whose application the final court order was made, but in view of what it has said concerning Mr. Coghlan’s testimony I may assume it does not conclude the application was made by him.
I have not been able to accept the testimony of the bailiff that the entry on the sheet was made in pursuance of the direction he testified he received from the accused to “make the bail in the Imperiale case a thousand dollars. ’ ’ According to the testimony of the city prison officials and the records of the office the entry must have been on the sheet when it was delivered with Imperiale at the city prison. The bailiff was the only witness to the records who claimed to have an independent recollection of the Imperiale case as of the time it came up. For some unexplained reason bail orders in this department of the court were customarily given to the bailiff instead of to the clerk in matters coming up during the court proceedings. The conventional way, of course, would be to give all orders, bail and otherwise, to the clerk and for the bailiff to get his information from him. In this way a court record would be kept of the court business. This was not done in this department, at least so far as bail is concerned. The charter provides that the clerk shall keep full and conypíete records of all cases in the court and the disposition made thereof by the court (art. V, c. 8, sec. 10). The bailiff is to preserve order and to execute the orders of the court
Now, as to the order of release. Riceardi first testified that a man connected with his office deposited the bail. He finally testified, however, that upon further reflection he must have made the deposit and received the order of release himself. Both Riceardi and Mr. Filippini, to whom, according to the testimony of both, Riceardi exhibited his release, said it was on blue paper, but apparently neither of them was questioned as to whether it contained the rubber-stamp notation. Mr. Filippini was so surprised and deeply interested in Riceardi’s performance in securing bail that he went to see and had a long talk with the warrant and bond clerk after the order of release was exhibited to him by Riceardi, but this conversation was properly excluded. It does appear, however, that when Mr. Filippini entered the office a white paper dropped on the floor and that the incident was discussed between them, but what was said is not shown. Apart from the contention as to whether Riceardi received the bail order in McDonough’s office, no particular importance should attach to the circumstance of whether or not a bail order was signed in any given instance, for when the accused was asked whether it was not the custom in his department of the court to sign an order of bail even when the order of bail was made in open court, he answered, “Yes, it was usually done; that in a few cases it was not done.” It was probably the rare exception not to sign an order in that department, for otherwise the records of bail would, in most instances, depend on the bailiff of the court. No special stress, therefore, should be laid merely on whether or not a bail order was signed, nor on the failure to produce a signed order, for at that time np effort was made to preserve them.
But it cannot be held that this question is decisive. The evidence as to why the accused made the final order of bail is so convincing I have no doubt of his guilt. Riccardi and the officer agree they had the conversation in the corridor that morning some time before the accused went on the bench. The officer left and Riccardi proceeded to McDonough’s and had his first interview with him about the Imperiale case. It is unnecessary to again review the proceedings in court which resulted in Mr. Filippini leaving to get bail. Riccardi had his second interview with McDonough and was preceded to the courtroom by McDonough’s man, who spoke to the accused. While negotiations were on the accused spoke to the clerk and left the courtroom. Upon the assumption that the bail orders during the proceedings are generally given to the bailiff it is clear why, if there was a “no-bail” order, it was given to the clerk, for otherwise
There was no question in the mind of Mrs. Imperiale, who had waited anxiously at McDonough’s for her husband’s deliverance, nor of Imperiale when he was released after being returned to the city prison, nor of Mr. Filippini, amazed at the performance, when Biccardi showed him the order of release, as to who had secured the results. In the face of such circumstances the denials of the accused and McDonough should carry no weight. In view of Mrs. Imperiale’s great relief at the outcome, too much stress should not be put on her failure to note whether Biccardi, when he emerged from the back room, had a paper in his hand, if that were the way he would carry such a paper, or whether or not he had the bail money.
I have said Mr. Coghlan testified before the grand jury. It is apparent the affirmative defense was never thought of until that occasion, for the testimony of the accused, who preceded Mr. Coghlan on the stand, is barren of any suggestion that the latter applied to him for a reduction of bail. In addition to what I have, already said about this defense it is proper to refer again briefly to the evidence. It was through Biccardi Mr. Coghlan was employed in the Imperiale case. Biccardi’s movements from the time he spoke to the officer until Imperiale was released from custody are accounted for, and Mr. Coghlan had not been seen by the Imperiales or Mr. Filippini during that time. ■ No one has testified, not even Mr. Coghlan himself, that he was employed to secure bail. The truth of the matter probably is that Mr. Coghlan knew nothing about the case until after Imperiale was released, and that while Biccardi was attending to the matter of bail Mr. Coghlan was engaged in the superior court. It is evident that he only met the Imperiales on that day to arrange to have him try the case while Biccardi was in the east.
The Penal Code provides: “A docket must be kept by . . . the police justice, or by the clerk ... if there is one, in which must be entered each action and the proceedings of the court therein” (sec, 1428) “ . . . The provisions of this
The first bail order was entirely disproportionate to the bail usually fixed by the accused in manslaughter eases, apart from the existing arrangement with the transportation companies in that class of cases. The accused, after the officer testified, said it was a very serious case and apparently nothing had intervened to change his mind as to its gravity. It may be inferred from the excessive bail and the other circumstances that the first order was only tentative. The purported “no-bail” order, for obvious reasons, would not be entered. And if the final order had been entered, the question might arise as to why the original order was not entered. If the final order was not made on the application of Mr. Coghlan, why, and under what circumstances, was it made? Concededly, not through either Mr. Filippini or Biccardi.
And it must not be lost sight of that in spite of these charges the accused and Biccardi were on speaking terms, and that they drank together. On an occasion within two months of the hearing, in the presence of some newspaper men, the following colloquy ensued: Judge Oppenheim: “Did you ever say that you ever did business with me?” Biccardi: “Well, no, not exactly, but indirectly a hundred times, and the goods were always delivered.” Judge Oppenheim : “Very well.” Judge Oppenheim then turned around and walked away.
In view of the.relationship between the accused, McDonough, and Biccardi, and the system under which they operated, I think the testimony of Biccardi as to the Leandro Ysussi case, in which the defendant was charged with intent
The accused should be disbarred.
