222 PROBLEMS IN WILD LIFE CONSERVATION 



transaction. The State, it would appear, had an open and 

 shut case. It so happened, however, that the district attor- 

 ney, one of three lawyers in the town, was an old man who 

 had seen better days. Spicer was defended by the attorney 

 from the nearby city who customarily defends the fur 

 buyers. The state conservation officials urged the district 

 attorney to request aid of the State Attorney General's office 

 in preparing his case, the Attorney General being empowered 

 by statute to give aid at the request of the district attorney. 

 But the district attorney indignantly refused on the ground 

 that he was perfectly capable of handling his own case 

 without outside aid. When the case came up for trial the 

 prosecution so badly managed its charges that Spicer escaped 

 with a small fine. 



The fact is that when the fur buyers are defended by 

 highly skilled attorneys from the big cities, the district 

 attorneys in the small backwoods counties are unable to cope 

 with them and therefore lose their cases. There are two 

 possible solutions to the problem, either to give the State 

 Department of Conservation an attorney to act for the 

 state in any cases growing out of game-law violations or 

 empower the governor to appoint an attorney replacing the 

 district attorney in any particular instance he feels it neces- 

 sary. This latter method is used in New York state, not 

 only in regard to conservation cases, but in any case where 

 the governor feels that action wise. It offers a solution to 

 this type of case where the local district attorney really 

 needs aid but will not ask for it. The appointment of a 

 permanent prosecutor for the Department of Conservation 

 would mean that the district attorney would be inclined to 

 load his work on the department. 



Cooperation Between States in Law Enforcement: The 

 officials in the various state conservation departments have 

 shown an unusual willingness to cooperate with one another, 



