THUMB AWARD PUBLIC DEFENDERS

Thumbs Up to Earl A. Forsythe, who has been a lawyer for 50 years and a public servant even longer. Forsythe is the recipient of the first annual Justinian Award, an honor bestowed by the Dallas Lawyers’ Wives Club Inc., and judged by such devout civic servants as library director Lillian Bradshaw and Greater Dallas Council of Churches’ Rev. Bruce Theunissen. Forsythe’s record proves that, yes, lawyers do get involved in community service, and not always at the limelight level. Forsythe has worked for a long list of civic organizations ranging from the Dallas Chapter of the Red Cross and the Chamber of Commerce to the Dallas County Hospital Board and SMU. His example should inspire young attorneys to get involved. Thumbs Down to Texas House Speaker Gib Lewis for opposing the stiffening of state drinking laws. The discovery that Lewis “inadvertently failed” to disclose to the secretary of state that he is part owner of LL&M Aviation, a company that he owns with a liquor store owner and a beer distributor, points to a rather obvious conflict of interest. His request that the value of the laws be proven before they are passed (one would raise the drinking age to 21; the other would prohibit open liquor containers in automobiles) is ridiculous. Isn’t the fact that automobile accidents are the number one cause of death among teen-agers “proof enough? Speaking of values, Gib, which is more important: the public whom you were elected to serve or a couple of business associates?