Letters

Comments (0) Thursday, Jul 2 1998

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Remember what the Care Bear says: "Partners in caring give all their heart to the corporation."

Royal McLouth
via Internet

Judges Are Right
I have to agree wholeheartedly with judges Godwin and Shaver that Johnny Holmes's office policy forbidding in-chambers conferences is "nonsensical" ["Insider," by Tim Fleck, June 18].

I have a great deal of respect for Johnny and feel that, generally, the public is well served by an honest and forthright D.A. However, in this case, Johnny is wrong. The practice, now proscribed, has been in use since Johnny was an assistant D.A.

The rules prohibiting recommendations of probation have more to do with fostering the public's perception that the prosecutor is "being tough on crime." If Johnny didn't have rules against recommending probation, or against reducing a felony charge to a misdemeanor, or setting outlandish bonds in certain categories of cases, there would be no need for conferences with the judge.

The prohibition against conferences signals a basic distrust of the integrity of the judge, the defense lawyer and the prosecutor. To paraphrase Judge Shaver, Johnny has been away from the courtroom for too long.

George M. Karam
via Internet

Editor's note: Karam is an attorney and former assistant