READERS’ OPINIONS

Lawyer concerned for court integrity

I don’t recall ever writing an official letter to the editor before, but then again, I don’t recall ever being attacked by a person named Twinkle before, either.

I want you to know the following:

Bill Bowen and I are not members of the Alabama Trial Lawyers Association but have on a couple of occasions in the past had the privilege of representing the organization.

We have also represented coal companies but do not consider ourselves coal miners. We have represented insurance companies but have never sold a single policy. We have represented financial institutions but prefer not to loan people money. Believe it or not, we have even represented media types but still don’t smoke and try not to dangle participles.

Our responses to your reporter Stan Bailey’s questions about the recent changes in the rules of the Judicial Inquiry Commission and the Court of the Judiciary were motivated solely by our concern for the integrity of our judicial branch of government.

Hopefully, our concern, which is shared by your newspaper, will result in a reconsideration of these rules. These changes compromise the reputation of the system that is supposed to fairly resolve disputes between citizens represented by lawyers. Those citizens include individuals, insurance companies, coal companies, financial institutions, media types and even Twinkle Andress, executive director of the Alabama Citizens for a Sound Economy.

Mark White

White, Dunn and Booker

Downtown