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http://www.omniture.com --> Email Story to a Friend June 8, 2006 Retired attorney cleared of charges By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune The Oregon Supreme Court has cleared a retired local attorney who was branded for the past four years as a criminal. Lee Scott Werdell, 65, did not commit the crime of hindering prosecution, the state Supreme Court ruled, when in October 2000 he disposed of a gun that belonged to his stepson, Jeffrey Everts. A felon who legally wasn't allowed to possess a firearm, Everts had been arrested in connection with a drunken boating accident near the mouth of the Rogue River that killed his friend and co-worker, Orlando Vigil. The Supreme Court likely will issue a final judgement on the case within the next few weeks, said Stephanie Soden, spokeswoman for the Oregon Attorney General's Office, which prosecuted Werdell in Curry County. The Attorney General is not asking for reconsideration of the case, she said. "At this point the case is over," she said. "We felt like the statute applied, and the trial court and appeals court agreed with us. ... Chances are not much will change." Werdell never denied tossing Everts' pistol into Applegate Lake, telling his trial jury that he only wanted to keep Everts from getting his hands on the weapon. The crime of hindering prosecution — by its legal definition — didn't apply, he repeatedly argued. Supreme Court judges on May 25 agreed. "I'm kind of proud of the law," said Werdell, who retired from practice in part because of his 2002 conviction and pending suspension by the Oregon State Bar. A former Jackson County chief deputy district attorney, Werdell practiced law in Oregon for 40 years. As a criminal defender, he represented several high-profile clients, including Manuel Cortez, who killed two Ashland girls in 1979. For the last 15 years of his career, Werdell concentrated on civil rights cases and employment law, winning a 1999 discrimination case for a female Medford firefighter. Werdell was indicted in August 2001 under a section of Oregon law that defines hindering prosecution as concealing, altering or destroying physical evidence that might aid in the discovery or apprehension of a criminal. Because Everts already was in police custody when he disposed of the alcohol and gun, Werdell argued, his actions had no affect on his stepson's arrest. The Supreme Court agreed with Werdell. At odds with the Court of Appeals, the high court noted the law's focus on hindering prosecution with respect to a criminal, not the crime itself. "Simply put, defendant's acts did not 'conceal ... or destroy physical evidence which might aid in the discovery or apprehension of Everts," according to the court's opinion. Circuit and appeals courts previously had characterized Werdell's actions as an attempt to prevent Everts from being charged as a felon in possession of a firearm. The Supreme Court reversed Werdell's criminal conviction and dismissed his pending one-year suspension from practicing law, though Werdell has since retired. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy