LOCAL ATTORNEY SAYS STATE'S ON WITCH HUNT AGAINST JUSTICE

by Doug Floyd Interactive editor
Copyright (c) 1997, Spokane SpokesmanReview
The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA) March 25, 1997 THE REGION,
Pg. B6, BAGPIPES

Spokane attorney Robert R. Rowley has a word for the state
Commission on Judicial Conduct's inquiry regarding state
Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders.

''The term 'witch hunt' is the only appropriate term
that can be used,'' Rowley wrote in response to last
Thursday's ''Bagpipes.'' Sanders is accused of violating
the Judicial Code of Conduct by attending and addressing an
antiabortion rally in 1996.

''In the most recent edition of the Washington State Bar
News, the trade magazine of all Washington lawyers, the
editor wrote a short column on this investigation,'' Rowley
said.

''After the standard statement about being proabortion,
the editor went on to demonstrate how the commission's
actions have been very selective. In the past, other
justices on the court have attended rallies and meetings
sponsored by various causes and never has anyone ever
questioned the justices' activities,'' Rowley wrote. ''This
investigation never would have occurred had Sanders
attended a gayrights or animalrights rally.''

Rowley also cited U.S. Supreme Court justices who openly
have expressed political beliefs without being challenged
on ethical grounds.

Justice William O. Douglas, Rowley recalled, ''was
legendary for his support of liberal causes and he never
was sanctioned for his activities. More recently, Justice
Antonin Scalia was criticized, though not sanctioned, for
several speeches he gave which implicated cases before the
U.S. Supreme Court.'' Rowley called it both unrealistic and
dangerous to expect judges to be without opinions.

''What we should expect are judges who are willing to
set aside those opinions, no matter how firmly held, to
hear both sides of the argument and render a judicial
ruling based upon the merits of the argument,'' Rowley
said.

Swapping syringes

After ''Bagpipes'' asked in February about federal
support for needleexchange programs, Tom Hawkins of Grand
Coulee replied: ''Several thousand people die yearly of
AIDS and other illnesses related to the sharing of
contaminated needles. Any plan that does not allow federal
money to be used for needleexchange programs, which have
been proved to help stop the spread of these illnesses, is
a plan for more American deaths and higher taxpayer burden
due to health care costs.''

NOTES: ''Bagpipes'' appears Tuesdays and Thursdays. To
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