The Spokane Judge Who Dozed on the Bench — and Admitted Using Morphine
A legislative committee closes its impeachment inquiry into Superior Judge Arthur, while his defenders explain that the sleeping was simply 'a restful position' brought on by neuralgia.
Spokane, Feb. 18. — The legislative committee investigating the impeachment charges against Superior Judge Arthur expects to complete its work tomorrow and leave for Olympia in the evening. It is generally believed here that the report will recommend action by the legislature.
The defenders of Judge Arthur, of Spokane, do not deny that at times he appeared to be asleep on the bench, but say "it was only a restful position assumed by him when tired or suffering from an attack of neuralgia." Arthur admits using morphine.
“"It was only a restful position assumed by him when tired or suffering from an attack of neuralgia."”
A sitting superior court judge, nodding off in court and admitting to morphine, was enough in 1895 to send a legislative committee to Spokane and put impeachment on the table. Today judicial misconduct goes to the state's Commission on Judicial Conduct rather than the Legislature, but the questions are unchanged: what the public is owed by the person holding the gavel, and whether addiction is a scandal or an illness.
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