Ilene G. Sipe was selected by the Volunteer Lawyers Program of Tucson as the Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney of the Month for June.

Donau & Bolt announced that Keith A. Singer has joined the firm as an associate practicing in the areas of divorce, criminal defense, medical malpractice and personal injury.

Titus, Brueckner & Berry, P.C. announced that David R. Jordan has become a shareholder and director of the firm and that Timothy G. Burns has associated with the firm as "Of Counsel."

Morrison & Hecker L.L.P. announced that Frank G. Long, Richard Lustiger and Jared G. Parker have been elected to partnership and that Brenda K. Martin has joined the firm as an associate.

Gallagher & Kennedy announced that Kevin R. Robling has joined the firm as an associate.

Timothy D. Ronan and Merrick B. Firestone formed the law firm of Ronan & Firestone, P.L.C., 649 N. 2nd Ave., Phoenix, (602) 307-9100. The firm’s practice areas include commercial litigation, mergers and acquisitions and business and estate planning.

Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C announced that Douglas F. Behm has become a member (partner) with the firm; Mark V. Scheele has become affiliated as Of Counsel; John P. Robertson, II, has joined the firm as an associate; and Gary L. Lassen has been re-elected to a three-year term as managing attorney.

Cheifetz & Iannitelli, P.C. announced that Brock J. Heathcotte and Deborah S. Kerr have joined the firm as associates.

Streich Lang announced that Ed Novak has joined the firm’s White Collar Crime/Special Matters Practice Group.

Laura Todd Johnson and Matilde Elena Slate announced the relocation of their law practice, Johnson & Slate, focusing on employment discrimination and criminal defense, to 317 S. Convent Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701, (520) 882-0330.

Richard A. Kent, formerly a shareholder with Teilborg Sanders & Parks, P.C., and Peter M. Wittekind, formerly a partner with Snell & Wilmer, announced the formation of Kent & Wittekind, P.C. The firm will focus its practice on medical malpractice defense, personal injury and insurance law and general litigation. Stephen M. Booth, formerly of Manor Care, Inc., (Maryland) and Samuel A. McConkey, IV, formerly of Brown & Bain PA, have also joined the firm, which is located at Two Renaissance Square, 40 N. Central Ave, Suite 775, Phoenix, AZ 85004-4468, (602) 261-7770.

Margaret E. Koppen, formerly with Sacks Tierney P.A., has joined the Phoenix office of Bryan Cave LLP, where she will continue her practice in real estate transactions.

Bryan Cave has relocated its Phoenix office to One Renaissance Center.

Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C. announced that Christine R. Taradash, William G. Caravetta, III and Edward M. Ladley have joined the firm as associates.

Jerry D. Worsham II joined O’Connor Cavanagh as a senior member to head its Environmental Law Group.

Cynthia Crocket joined the Phoenix office of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey in its Corporate/Real Estate practice group.

Recently Deceased

Fred R. Esser, Sedona

Deborah Ham, Globe

Joseph C. Meier, Fountain Hills

Dallas P. Richeson, Paradise Valley

John C. Williams, Prescott

In Memoriam

Justice Was a One-Armed Man

by Ernest Calderón

Justice to many has been described as an elegant lady holding a perfectly balanced set of scales. But to this writer, growing up in Greenlee County, my image of justice is the image of a one-armed man. Let me explain.

The obituary was succinct. He died in late April. But then again no post-mortem testimonial adequately chronicles a great person’s life. I take this opportunity to introduce some of you to a gentleman, father, husband, great lawyer and judge — the late Porter Murry. Those of you who knew Judge Murry will recognize that my words are woefully inadequate in describing the man, and for that, I apologize.

Porter Murry originally planned to make his career in mining. He graduated from the University of Missouri (Rolla) School of Mines. Unfortunately, he was injured in a bad mining accident in Payson. He lost an arm and spent more than a year convalescing in a Globe hospital. He then went on to law school, graduated from the University of Arizona, served as Greenlee County Attorney in the 1940s and in 1950 he became the fifth Superior Court Judge in Greenlee County when Judge David Ling was elevated from the Superior Court bench to the U.S. District Court. Until his 1970 retirement, Judge Murry had the distinction of "riding the circuit" and serving as a judge in all of Arizona’s 14 counties. His record was only surpassed by Judge Lloyd Fernandez, who tried cases in all 15 of Arizona’s counties (since La Paz County was added in the 1980s). It was common for Judge Murry to be handed highly controversial cases involving healthcare, elected official misconduct, etc. In the early 1960s, before merit selection, Judge Murry ran for a seat on the Arizona Supreme Court and lost in the Democratic primary to Renz Jennings.

Porter Murry was "justice" in the Greenlee County of my youth. Lawyers throughout the state recognized that Judge Murry was a lawyer’s judge. He allowed a lawyer to try his/her case (make whatever mistakes the lawyer would inevitably make) and took very measured, but firm control of his courtroom. When he retired to Phoenix, he was unable to rest due to his fine reputation. The late U.S. District Court Judge Walter Craig and others appointed Judge Murry to serve as a Special Master in a variety of federal cases. Nevertheless, he did spend some retirement moments at Turf Paradise. Every virtuous man must have a vice.

Greenlee County in the 1950s and ’60s was not unlike other parts of Arizona, and for that matter, other parts of the country. Every city or town had its fair share of saints and sinners, progressive people and bigots. In Greenlee County, it was common to find Mexican-Americans in blue collar or "service" type jobs. The decision-makers — the mining executives, etc. — were Anglo. Most of them were fair and honest. However, just as in any bushel of apples a bad apple can appear, there were those who solely judged people by the color of their skin. Fortunately, our community had Judge Porter Murry. Judge Murry had no tolerance for bigotry of any sort. Although respectful of witnesses, lawyers, plaintiffs and defendants, it was not uncommon for the judge to take to task an individual or a witness who had abused the law in order to advance some scurrilous form of discrimination. In our small community, Judge Murry’s remedial actions became legend. Judge Murry believed that our community belonged to everyone, regardless of race or gender. The turbulent 1960s brought race relations to the front page of our newspapers and onto our television sets. In the midst of the turmoil caused by the race debate, the Greenlee County Courthouse was an island of tranquility due to Porter Murry’s respectful and equal treatment of everyone and his fair application of the law.

When I told a good friend that I would be writing this for your review, he asked "...who will really care about a small-town judge who tried to do good? Lawyers are too busy with their own problems to focus on a sentimental recollection of a good man." I beg to differ, because I know that you and I need to acknowledge that lawyers are, for the most part, inherently honest and hard working and try to help people. Porter Murry was a lawyer’s lawyer. Porter Murry was what everyone expected in a judge. In my memory, Porter Murry will always symbolize justice.