High court refuses to let murderer become lawyer

The man was convicted in a robbery that left two men dead.
PHOENIX (AP) -- A convicted murderer who graduated from law school after getting out of prison was denied admission to the bar Wednesday by the Arizona Supreme Court because of a lack of "good moral character."
James Hamm, who served 17 years for his part in a drug-related robbery that left two men dead, had asked the court to allow him to practice law even though the state bar association had recommended against his application, citing the seriousness of the crime and his failure to own up to his past.
The five-member court unanimously sided with the bar association.
Chief Justice Ruth McGregor said the court has no rule automatically barring someone with Hamm's past from practicing law, but "an applicant with such a background must make an extraordinary showing of rehabilitation and present good moral character."
What court said
Among other things, the court said Hamm failed to take full responsibility for the murders. The justices cited Hamm's claim that he intended only to rob the men -- a statement the court said was inconsistent with the facts.
Hamm, 57, complained in an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press that his efforts to "atone for the lives I took" seemed to have made little impression on the court.
"That seems to have literally made no difference. That is very disappointing to me," said Hamm, who has been working as a paralegal in Phoenix. He said he might take his case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
He earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Northern Arizona University through a prison program. After his sentence was commuted in 1989, he attended Arizona State University's law school.
He passed the bar exam in 1999 and last year filed his character and fitness application -- a requirement to practice law.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.