Page Six ! t""I t 1V1 I k-" I UA IN UP11 L Y Nednescl ay, August i U, IV i7 ABA supports grand jury system reforms CUICAGO 4; - Over oppo- sition from Atty. Gen. Griffin Bell, the nation's largest law- yers' group voted on yesterday to support reforms in the na- tion's grand jury system - incliding allowing witnesses to bring attorneys with them when they face the jury. The American Bar Associa- tion (ABA), at its annual sum- mer meeting, endorsed bills pending in Congress that would allow attorneys in the jury room and make changes in the types of criminal immunity pro- secutors could grant witnesses. THE ABA'S House of Dele- gates approved the proposed changes by a vote of 186 to 93, despite a warning from Bell. that "You are proposing a remedy that is ntuch broader than the wrong you have found." BHell called the lawyer in the jury room, portion of the pro- posal a "lawyer relief act" that would serve only to generate business for attorneys, and said it would render the grand jury system "unworkable." The proposal's backers, led by State Attorney Richard Ger- stein of Miami, argued that the changes are necessary to stem abuses of power by prosecutors. INSTEAD OF serving as a shield for the innocent, the grand jury system has become a powerful and often unfair weapon for prosecutors, said Gerstein, himself a prosecutor for more than 20 years. One Washington attorney at- tending the convention a n d close to the grand jury reform movement said, "I had the feel- ing Congress was keeping the legislation in a holding pattern, waiting to see what the ABA would do. If this proposal were voted down, rejection by Con- gress would have been a cer- tairty." T H E ASSOCIATION'S gov- erning body approved most of the 27 separate principles on grad jury reform presented to it by a committee headed by Gerstein, but rejected two parts of the proposal at the request of Bell and Benjamin Civiletti, assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Depart- ment's Criminal Division. As endorsed by the ABA, a trade group representing more than half the nation's 400,000 lawyers, the grand jury pro- posal would allow witnesses to be accompanied by an attor- ney. The lawyer, however, could only advise the client- not speak to the jury or object to any phase of the proceed- ings. Bell said the safeguards would not work ,and that the judicial process would be slow- ed down by such a change. HE ALSO argued that a wit- ness who could not afford an attorney but wanted one prob- ably would have a constitution- al right to have one appointed by the presiding judge. The proposed changes would also ban prosecutors from us- ing so called "use immunity," in which a witness can be giv- en immunity from prosecution for the questions he or she ans- wers before the grand jury but still can be prosecuted for the crimes being investigated. The ABA backed "transac- tional immunity" under which a witness granted immunity to testify about any aspect of a crime could not be prosecuted in connection with that crime. At the turn of the century one out of every ten hardwood trees at the sawmill in the United States was a chestnut. You found me under a cabbage leaf? Nisse-month-old Nathanial Mayes of Mt. Clemens thinks the cabbage leaf version of his origins sounds a little suspicious, but he's content to let Dad keep on hoeing. Few attorneys opt to advertise fly The Associated Press While the American Bar As- sOuiation (ABA) tries to decide when and how it is proper for lawyers to advertise, a few at- torneys in scattered parts of the country already have taken out ads promoting their services and fees. Aspot check showed, tiowever, that the trend is slow in de- veloping. The June decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in fa- vor of advertising by lawy-rs did not bring any big push for publicity in the legal profession. PART OF THE hesitancy ap- pears due to confusion over what type of ads are acceptable under the court decision and part seems to stem from a re- anay p ae American CancerSociety Classiied Ads rl/1 luctance to break a lengthy tra- dition of avoiding personal, pub- licity. Two proposals are under con- sideration at the ABA conven-' tion that began in Chicago last week. One spells out the kind of information that could appear in ads, including name, specialties, edu'cational background, f e e s and acceptance of credit cards. The other is less specific, but generally bans any advertising which is "false, fraudulent, mis- leading or deceptive." Both pro- posals advise that "self-lauda- tion should be avoided:' The proposals generally deal with print rather than broadcast advertisements. They would al- low advertising in the electronic media only if authorized by state courts or other agencies responsible for regulating law- yers' conduct. THE PHOENIX, Ariz., law firm which originally argued be- fore the Supreme Court against advertising has asked for .a re- hearing, charging that the ads already have gotten out of hand. In his brief, John Frank of Lewis and Roca said he had re- ceived a notice from a direct mail agency which offered to include legal ads in envelopes with a circular also advertising turnip greens, hominy grits and pizza. The survey showed, however, that such tales are few. News- papers, generally report they have received only scattered ads from lawyers. The advertise- ments that have been placed are subdued and limited in scope. Most lawyers said it was too early to tell whether the ads boosted business. Joanna Morland, executive di- rector of the Dallas Bar Associa- tion, reported only two adver- tisements since the court deci- sion. They related to simple, un- contested divorces and personal bankruptcy. ROBERT THOMAS, president- elect of the Dallas group, said: "I am anxious to see some ex- ,perimentation in the field . . . I don't think that we are going to have any problems. I think the lawyers are going to be re- sponsible." Carl Bradford of Freeport, Maine, the president of his state's bar group, said about a dozen l a w y e r s have placed newspaper ads so far. Others are taking out block-type notices in the Yellow Pages. "By and large, I would not say that advertising by lawyers is something that has caught on," Bradford said, citing tradi- tion and "ties to the past" as reasons for the lack of enthu- siasm and noting that many of the ads have been placed by lawyers just starting out in practice. Salado says Only one who can see the in- visible can do the impossible. Admiral Nelson of England won the Battle of Trafalgar against the French in 1805.