Caffrey, In re

Decision Date06 July 1967
Docket NumberNo. 5224
CitationCaffrey, In re, 429 P.2d 880, 71 Wn.2d 554 (Wash. 1967)
PartiesIn the Matter of the Disciplinary Proceedings Against Bradford A. CAFFREY, an Attorney at Law.
CourtWashington Supreme Court

Bradford Caffrey, pro se.

Nelvin Bettis, Seattle, for Caffrey.

T. M. Royce, Seattle, Bar Counsel, Washington State Bar Ass'n.

PER CURIAM.

Practically from the outset of his short but stormy legal career, 1 Bradford A. Caffrey was demonstrating how easy it would be to mislead judges, accustomed to regarding the lawyers who practiced before them as honorable individuals. 2 Brief as that career has been, it was marked by a 30-day suspension; 3 by a commitment for contempt; 4 and by at least one other instance of questionable attitude which reached the attention of this court 5 prior to the present disciplinary proceeding.

In consequence of the present proceeding, a trial panel of lawyers and the Board of Governors of the Washington State Bar Association have recommended that Mr. Caffrey be disbarred. This recommendation is primarily based upon his efforts to get a 14-year-old girl to testify falsely that she had not had sexual intercourse with a young man whom Mr. Caffrey was defending on a carnal knowledge charge.

This attempted subornation of perjury was one of five complaints against Mr. Caffrey involved in the present disciplinary proceeding. The other four complaints will be noted only in passing. Three of them, if standing alone, the trial panel would have dismissed, but the Board of Governors considered that they merited censure or reprimand. The other complaint involved the filing by Mr. Caffrey of an affidavit which made an entirely unwarranted and unjustified attack on a superior court judge (who had decided a matter adversely to Mr. Caffrey's contentions), and was deemed by the trial panel conducting the hearing sufficiently opprobrious to warrant suspension for a year; and in this recommendation the Board of Governors concurred.

It would seem that Mr. Caffrey never, at any time, had the faintest glimmer of what it means to be a member of an honorable profession, or of the respect due to the courts of justice and judicial officers. Our Canons of Ethics and the obligations of his oath as an attorney had no real meaning to him. The present culmination was inevitable.

A request was made for leave to resign from the Washington State Bar Association. This is not a situation which would even warrant the discussion of resignation.

We accept the...

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5 cases
  • Krogh, In re
    • United States
    • Washington Supreme Court
    • June 6, 1975
    ... ...         In re Kennedy, 80 Wash.2d 222, 230, 492 P.2d 1364, 1368 (1972). Although this court theoretically retains the power to overturn findings of fact by the board and panel below (See In re Caffrey, 63 Wash.2d 1, 4, 385 P.2d 383 (1963); In re Simmons, 59 Wash.2d 689, 701, 369 P.2d 947 [536 P.2d 595] (1962)), it is senseless to exercise that power where nothing is served thereby but the negation of the function of the established fact-finding procedures and the diminution of the credibility of ... ...
  • McGrath, Matter of
    • United States
    • Washington Supreme Court
    • December 9, 1982
    ... ... ); In re Egger, 86 Wash.2d 596, 547 P.2d 864 (1976) (robbery); In re Krogh, 85 Wash.2d 462, 536 P.2d 578 (1975) (conspiracy); In re Johnson, 74 Wash.2d 21, 442 P.2d 948 (1968) (grand larceny); In re [655 P.2d 238] Anderson, 73 Wash.2d 587, 439 P.2d 981 (1968) (grand larceny); In re Caffrey, 71 Wash.2d 554, 429 P.2d 880 (1967) (subornation of perjury); In re Hett, 70 Wash.2d 435, 423 P.2d 629 (1967) (aiding and abetting escape); In re Wallis, 63 Wash.2d 833, 389 P.2d 421 (1964) (grand larceny); In re Dalton, 60 Wash.2d 726, 375 P.2d 258 (1962) (grand larceny); In re Timothy, ... ...
  • Stroh, Matter of
    • United States
    • Washington Supreme Court
    • May 13, 1982
    ... ...         Furthermore, this court has consistently held that subornation of perjury, the previous statutory equivalent of Stroh's crime, involves moral turpitude. In re Kerr, 86 Wash.2d 655, 548 P.2d 297 (1976); In re Caffrey, 71 Wash.2d 554, 429 P.2d 880 (1967); In re Bixby, 31 Wash.2d 620, 198 P.2d 672 (1948) ...         Finally, Mr. Stroh requested and the jury was instructed that the crime of which Stroh was charged required proof of criminal intent. Thus, by adjudging Hugh Stroh guilty, the jury ... ...
  • Maryland State Bar Ass'n, Inc. v. Rosenberg
    • United States
    • Maryland Court of Appeals
    • December 18, 1974
    ... ... ' 60 N.J. at 136, 286 A.2d at 509 ...         See also In re Allen, 52 Cal.2d 762, 344 P.2d 609 (1959) (soliciting others to commit perjury); In re Ruggiero, 40 A.D.2d 135, 338 N.Y.S.2d 749 (S.Ct.App.Div.1972) (per curiam); In re Caffrey, 71 Wash.2d 554, 429 P.2d 880 (1967) (attempted subornation of perjury) ...         Since Rosenberg was convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, and no compelling circumstance were presented justifying a lesser sanction, we agree with the findings and disbarment recommendation of ... ...
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3 books & journal articles
  • Table of Cases
    • United States
    • Washington State Bar Association The Law of Lawyering in Washington (WSBA) Table of Cases
    • Invalid date
    ...re, 110 Wn.2d 95, 750 P.2d 641 (1988): 16–64 C____________________________________________________________________________ Caffrey, In re, 71 Wn.2d 554, 429 P.2d 880 (1967): 8–12 n.87; 12–34 n.211; 16–53; 16–60 Campbell, In re, 74 Wn.2d 276, 444 P.2d 784 (1968): 16–64 Campbell, In re, 143 W......
  • §12.3 RPC 8.4: Misconduct
    • United States
    • Washington State Bar Association The Law of Lawyering in Washington (WSBA) Chapter 12 Maintaining the Integrity of the Profession
    • Invalid date
    ...tampering); In re Krogh, 85 Wn.2d 462, 536 P.2d 578 (1975) (disbarment for conspiring to violate the rights of citizens); In re Caffrey, 71 Wn.2d 554, 429 P.2d 880 (1967) (disbarment for witness tampering); In re Greiner, 61 Wn.2d 306, 378 P.2d 456 (1963) (threemonth suspension for failure ......
  • §8.2 RPC Pertaining to Advocacy
    • United States
    • Washington State Bar Association The Law of Lawyering in Washington (WSBA) Chapter 8 The Rules of Advocacy
    • Invalid date
    ...97 Wn.2d 289, 644 P.2d 1161 (1982), cert. denied , 459 U.S. 1202 (1983); In re Kerr, 86 Wn.2d 655, 548 P.2d 297 (1976); In re Caffrey, 71 Wn.2d 554, 429 P.2d 880 (1967); In re Bixby, 31 Wn.2d 620, 198 P.2d 672 (1948) (all involving disbarment for witness tampering, most under DR 1-102(A)(3)......