In Re Petersen

On February 20, 1928, Amelia J. Rodrick, by her guardian ad litem, John Rodrick, filed with The State Bar of California her verified complaint against Cedric W. Petersen, a member of The State Bar, charging him with misconduct involving moral turpitude, constituting a ground for disbarment. Petersen was directly charged with subornation of perjury, and with compounding a felony in bringing about the marriage of the complainant with one Erasmus J. Silveria, who had been held to answer before the superior court upon a charge of statutory rape alleged to have been committed upon Amelia, in which Petersen was Silveria’s attorney, one trial having been had in which the jury disagreed. Proceedings were inaugurated by the local administrative committee of Alameda County, to which the complaint was referred for hearing and action, by the issuance of an order to show cause directed to Petersen, and protracted hearings and the taking of much evidence followed. The committee duly filed its findings and conclusions. It found that Petersen was not guilty of compounding a felony, but held that the subornation of perjury charge had been proved in that Petersen had advised Amelia J. Bodriek and…