Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 12, 1994 TAG: 9404120153
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short
About half of the 142 lawyers who responded also said they had been victims of violence or been threatened with violence because of their job.
The poll, which has no statistical validity, attracted responses mostly from lawyers in solo practice or in small firms.
``This is an issue that really hits little guys,'' Paul Fletcher, the weekly newspaper's publisher, told The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star of Norfolk. ``A lot of lawyers are packing guns. They either have it in their desks or carry it with them.''
Divorce lawyers feel especially vulnerable, according to the survey.
In February, an irate husband fired several shots at Gloucester lawyer McClanahan Ingles, who represented the man's wife. The gunman was shot dead by a state trooper.
``No one I've talked to has had any incident really similar to this,'' Ingles said. ``But I guess it's safe to say most lawyers in the area are more concerned since the incident. They're more security-conscious."
Not all lawyers are worried, however. ``Practicing law is probably less dangerous than driving down Hampton Boulevard,'' Jerrold Weinberg, a Norfolk lawyer with a large divorce practice, told the Norfolk daily newspaper. ``I personally haven't lost any sleep over it.''
by CNB