THE PUBLIC MIND: DEAN OF LAW SCHOOL SAYS LICHTENEGGER SHOULD BE COMMENDED

To the Editor:

I am writing regarding the recent reports in the media concerning John Lichtenegger and certain remarks made about him in the audit by State Auditor Margaret Kelly.

The "allegations" that there was some wrongdoing in Mr. Lichtenegger's handling of 4,000 worker compensation claims involving the Second Injury Fund, the fees paid to his firm and the offices which were furnished, are incredulous when understood in the context in which Mr. Lichtenegger acted.

Mr. Lichtenegger came into a very difficult situation. The prior attorney in St. Louis who had been handling these cases had pled guilty to felony charges and had been removed from these cases. The appointment of someone outside the metropolitan area with experience in this field of the law and a fine reputation was a good solution to restore integrity to the process.

The choice of John Lichtenegger by the prior Attorney General was a good one. By all accounts he has handled these cases very well for his clients and is still doing work on Second Injury Fund cases. The guilt-by-association inferences from the report are highly unfair. I have worked with Mr. Lichtenegger for the past five years during my tenure as Dean of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. I have always found him to be a person of good judgment and character. A number of persons across the political spectrum have criticized the audit report's references to Mr. Lichtenegger.

Rather than censure, Mr. Lichtenegger should receive commendation for his work.

Timothy J. Heinsz

Columbia, Missouri