This is weird stuff. There are current sites that accuse him of the same. Very unusual.
Doug's message to the WA State Bar Assocation's Chief Disciplinary Counsel, Barrie Althoff:
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Judge Frank Cuthbertson
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 11:21:03 -0700
From: Doug Schafer <d_schafer@bigfoot.com>
To: "Althoff, Barrie" <barriea@wsba.org>
Barrie Althoff,
Pursuant to RLD 12.9, I request that my identity as the provider of this information remain confidential. Given my long-standing view that our profession should be more self-policing, I would be a hypocrite if I failed to report to your office the News Tribune story of this morning in which Judge Frank Cuthbertson admits to having failed to disclose his 1980 conviction of "a piddly little thing" on his 1993 Bar application or his 2000 judicial appointment application to the Governor. The story is posted (free for 30 days) at: http://www.tribnet.com/news/local/1025a16.html
The reporter fails to mention in the news article, though she told me last Friday (Frank told her to phone me), that at one of the two public appearances when Rudy raised the allegation, Frank stated that he had only been "detained" by Greensboro police in 1979. That is also what he told me directly on Sept. 12, 2001, when I warned him that Rudy's supporters were digging into the Internet-posted allegation that he had been arrested.
Last Monday morning, I sent that reporter and Frank Cuthbertson the following message, in response to the reporter thanking me for forwarding to them both copies of the opinions from IN THE MATTER OF BRYAN EVERTON BENN, ___ N.Y.S.2d ___ (2nd Dept, May 14, 2001), and KENTUCKY BAR ASSOCIATION v. GUIDUGLI, 967 S.W.2d 587 (1998). Having sent you this, I feel I have fulfilled my duty. Your turn.
Doug Schafer.
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Judge Frank Cuthbertson
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2001 09:14:53 -0700
From: Doug Schafer <d_schafer@bigfoot.com>
To: Karen Hucks <Karen.Hucks@mail.tribnet.com>
CC: Frank Cuthbertson <frank@judgecuthbertson.com>
Karen Hucks wrote:
> Doug,
> Thanks for your research.
> Karen
Karen, the research was effortless. Due to my own religious war with the State Bar, I have been for several years monitoring the semiannual review of lawyer discipline cases posted on the website of the National Organization of Bar Counsel. (http://www.nobc.org/Cases/cases.html) The first category of their posted update is always "Admission to Practice" cases, and the two cases that I forwarded were summarized there in the last couple of years.
Again, my hope is that Frank was sufficiently disclosive on his Bar application that there is no issue. But his initial unequivocal denial to me that he had even been arrested gives me grave doubts. Frank's failure to phone me this weekend to explain or to apologize reinforces my doubts.
As you know, Frank is endorsed by ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY (even me, though I now have second thoughts). (E.g., every member of the Supreme Court, nearly every Pierce County judge, and leaders of the Bar, INCLUDING Prof. David Boerner who chairs the WSBA Character & Fitness Committee).
The irony, I predict, is that the same form of societal-governmental group behavior that sheltered bigots in Greensboro in 1979 will likely operate in Pierce County to shelter Frank from public exposure and criticism for misconduct that would be dealt with harshly if committed by a less favored individual. I predict that journalists will trivialize the issue and nobody in the State Bar will even look into it. [I keep constantly in mind that "favorite son" former local judge Grant L. Anderson and his former law partners robbed a public hospital of over $1 million, and no official or journalist was willing to really dig into the details of his misconduct."]
Doug Schafer, an idealistic but cynical lawyer.
dougschafer.com |
