THE PUBLIC MIND: FORMER ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL PRAISES LICHTENEGGER WORK

To the Editor:

It has been recently reported in the media that John Lichtenegger (president of the UM Board of Curators) was provided with office space, furniture, and staff in St. Louis. Some people called these "perks" but the media failed to report that Mr. Lichtenegger and his employees (who live and work in Jackson) drove back and forth from Jackson every day from June 1992 (five months) putting over 20,000 miles on Lichtenegger's vehicle not to mention the wear and tear on the people involved to keep worker's claims (over 4,000) from being delayed.

Mr. Lichtenegger reluctantly agreed to represent and defend the State of Missouri and the Treasurer (Custodian of the Second Injury Fund) in over 4,000 St. Louis cases before the St. Louis Division of Worker's Compensation. Lichtenegger had a grand total of two weeks to review the contents of each case file and evaluate each claim for prompt and efficient resolution.

Mr. Lichtenegger was asked to immediately step in and defend the Treasurer, Custodian of the Second Injury Fund, in the 4,000 St. Louis docketed cases because of his reputation for honesty, integrity, efficiency and hard work. Under the circumstances (the files were cases which had been assigned to the law firm of William Roussin and were held in the U.S. District Attorney's office in St. Louis), I am sure Mr. Lichtenegger would have much rather remained in Jackson, tending to his busy and prosperous private law practice. However, when called upon to help out with the emergency situation in St. Louis, John Lichtenegger did not think of himself first but thought of the State of Missouri.

He did not ask nor did he know where he was going to be located, nor did he know how long it would take him to resolve the cases.

John Lichtenegger is one of those rare people who always performs above and beyond the call of duty because that is the right thing to do. When will this witch hunt end?

Mary Joe Smith

Columbia, Missouri

(Editor's note: Mary Joe Smith is a former assistant attorney general for the State of Missouri)