Show BENCH AM BARs BAR-s ARTICLE IV Among the most distinguished ntem I bers of the Utah bar is the Hon Franklin l Frank-lin S Richards Mr Richards is a Utah I p product Salt Lake is his native city towhich he Is a credit He was born I fortyfour years ago and is therefore Jin I i the prime of liC He was over 21 years of age before taking up the study jof I law In 1870 he left Salt Lake and took up his residence in Ogdn where ha remained until 1884 when he returned I re-turned to his native city He studied law in Ogden and was admitted to the bar in 1874 He served Weber county I in the capacity of county clerk for a term and afterwards < as county attorney attor-ney During the time he was county attorney he greatly distinguished himself him-self as a prosecutor there being mores more-s ol59 at that time in the office than there is now as most of the duties now devolving upon the United States district attorney had to be performed jby the county attorney After being I admitted to the bar he became associated I asso-ciated with R K Williams a prominent promin-ent Kentucky lawyer and under the firm name of Richards Williams these two gentlemen did a lucrative and extensive law business in the Junction city In 1884 Mr Richards removed to Salt Lake and opened a law office In the following yaar he was appointed to the office of city attorney at-torney of Salt Lake which he held for two terms of two years each He formed a partnership with J H Movie with whom he did a large business under un-der the firm name of Richards Moyle and later when a son of the former Joseph Richards was taken into partnership part-nership it was Richards Moyle Richards and continued so for about two years when it was dissolved by mutual consent The Messrs Richards in the McCornick block where they now do a lucrative business under the style of Richards Richards Mr Moyle continues on his own account at the old offices in the Constitution block The subject of this sketch Mr F S Richards has appeared in cases of national importance in the United States Supreme Court in which constitutional con-stitutional questions particularly in regard re-gard to the right of religious liberty were for thp first time broached In the management of all his cases he displayed abilities of character so superior and fidelity to the Interests of his clients so entirely beyond criticism as to attract general attention and applause ap-plause Among the more important questions i raised by Mr Richards and adjudicated adjudi-cated by the court of last xeortln his favor was one relating to the dlsfran chisement of all persons who had ever practiced polygamy The court held that such action could only be had where lefendants were in the actual practice of the same Another question ques-tion involving the powers of the Utah Commission to disfranchise people without trial raised in the case of Murphy vs Ramsay and in the case of Angus Cannon vs the United States on the question of what constituted unlawful cohabitation were also disposed dis-posed of In the latter case Mr Richards Rich-ards appeared for plaintiff and prevailed pre-vailed the court holding that it consisted con-sisted of living with more than one woman as a wife and not actual cohabitation co-habitation with other women Other notable cases in which he was attorney were Salt Lake city vs O J Hollia ter collector in a suit to recover revenue reve-nue tax from government on the part of the city also that of Lorenzo Snow convicted and sentenced three counts S for unlawful cohabitation He was i released under habeas corpus proceed ings on the ground that one conviction I only for the same offense could be es tablished The case had been previous ly argued in the Supreme Court and I dismissed for want of jurisdiction in L the case of Nielsen convicted of unlaw ful cohabitation and adultery a release was effected on the ground that one offense only was committed in Smatter S-matter of Samuel Davis vs H G Season in regard to the validity of a test oath prohibiting members of the Mormon church from votinp in Idaho the court held the same valid As the E attorney of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints vs United States as to the power ot Congress to aiou a corporation and confiscate its prop erty Mr Richards has been indefatig able having been detained in Washing ton during the greater part of the past ten years on behalf of the church He has also appeared many times S before the committees of Congress and L submitted arguments and statements as to the condition of Utah both in regard re-gard to its resources and its local and I religious conditions For twelve years he has been the chief attorney and I leading counsel of the Mormon church has associated with men of national b S repute in the trial of many cases is one of the best known practitioners be fore the United States Supreme Court has an extensive acquaintance with the most prominent of lawyers and statesmen and is regarded as one of the brightest men in the legal frater nity of Utah or the country Mr Richards is a power in the po lincal arena On the dissolution of the Peoples party he allied himself with the Democrats among whom he has become an eminent leader and director In the days of the Peoples party he was twice elected to the council of the territorial legislature at one session of which he was the president He was elected delegate to Congress is 1SS2 i and chairman of the delegation from Salt Lake city to the constitutional I convention of 1887 Mr Richards is a hard and conscien tious worker in his profession he is in the full vigor of mental and physical I manhood and judging his future by his past gives promise of becoming one jof the greatest lawyers of the nation Socially he is pleasant and affable an accomplished conversationalist and a delightful companion He has a wife who is a fitting companion for such a man and whose name is identified with many public movements for the advancement ad-vancement of the territory particu larlyln the realm of women They are devoted to each other and to their family and have an elegant home on Astreet AstreetCHANCELLOR CHANCELLOR KENT JR |