"TOOK LAWYER'S ADVICE."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1696, 12 March 1913, Page 4

"TOOK LAWYER'S ADVICE."

A BTGAJITST SENT TO GAOL. Throe months' hard labour was the sentence imposed at the Melbourne Criminal Coiirt on February 27 on a mail who said that lie had offended on legal advice. 'Tlie man's name wns George Krammer, and (ho charge against him was bigamy. His defence was that M or 15 months Ago ho consulted a solicitor regarding a. divorce suit which lie proposed bringing against his wife. After the solicitor had made inquiries he said to Krammer: "It's nil right, you can marry agnin. Tour wife was married to someone else when you married her." Acting 011 the leiral advice ho married a second .time. Ho could not read or write, and he believed Hint the solicitor told liini what was true. Tlio Chief Justice ruled that the moro fact that accused consulted a solicitor and took his advice was no reasonable excuse. If Hint excuse held good it would be possible for any man to say that lie had consulted a solicitor, and, bein» told something without being given fact§, left his own wife to take up someone else. "If a man consults a lawyer," said his Honour, "ho does so at his own risk, because lawyers are not recognised by Inw ns being different from anybody else. His mere advice cannot be accepted as the required legal proof in such matters ns this. I must advise the jury tlmt the prisoner's belief wns not Founded 011 reasonable grounds." 'Die jury returned a verdict of mi illy, <utd liis Honour ordered accused to be iiii- , prisoned for lime months with hard labour.