DIVORCE SCANDAL.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 August 1928, Page 1

DIVORCE SCANDAL.

PARIS, July 11Accusations of widespread bribery and corruption as well as of culpable negligence in drawing up and voiifjing legal documents are made in Parisian legal circles in connection with the scandal of American divorces, which is being investigated by order of the Minister. of Justice.

The investigation follows charges that wealthy Americans have, made Paris a European model of the famous United States divorce centre of Bono, Nevada. Hastily constituted divorce dossiers were sent from New York and other American cities and placed in the hands of Paris solicitors, who either took them too lightly for granted, or actually bribed court officials to expedite and facilitate hearing. Furthermore, domiciles were declared as in Paris, in which city the interested parties had either never resided or had resided only for a l * day. Of the seven accused persons who are to appear before the First Civil Court on July 21, on various charges of illegal and unprofessional conduct a clerk of the court and two process servers have to face the most serious ' charges. The clerk of the divorce court is accused of having deliberately introduced into the divorce papers of American couples matters which lie knew to be fictitious. The processservers are charged with having served the divorce papers not upon the parties concerned but upon solicitors vho had agreed to obtain easy divorces for their absent clients. These solicitors are charged with bribery and corruption. The Divorce Court judge before whom these cases come for hearing has to explain his lack of care and foresight in allowing himself to be deceived. It is stated that out of 107 American divorce decrees pronounced in Paris during the last judicial tear 142 ■were dealt with by the same court and Irv the same officials.