Show LAWYERS AND WITNESSES not long ago there was a trial for murder in ogden and one of the witnesses for the defense was a woman of good reputation a wife and a mother after she had testified and after the lawyers for the prosecution had cross examined her and the arguments had been made the comans womans reputation was placed in question at he time to havo commented on tho subject would have beera unfair to one side or ahe other but one thought that struck homo wag that lawyers too often abuse their court rights and in an over zeal ous desire to serve their clients deal harshly and carelessly with the reputations of witnesses tho woman in question no doubt told the truth that is gave her imi and that Is all any one can do and itis exactly what Is expected of an honest witness but fihe waa painted by me of the attorneys as mercenary and even worse i there should be some protection accorded witnesses their reputations may mean ahelf very existence and yet the sawyers aro free to say in court that which if said against a person out of court would place them in danger of punishment for libel A lawyer in court should have no greater privileges in reflecting on the reputation of a witness or in misconstruing testimony than are allowed newspaper writers when they appeal to that larger tribunal the community |