The Toughest Call – The Lake Pleasant Murder Case

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November 4, 2010

A lawyer knows where the body is buried.  Must he tell?

Frank H. Armani stands as a role model for legal ethics and is widely regarded as a hero within the legal profession.  In 1973, Mr. Armani was appointed to defend Robert Garrow, the accused murderer in the Lake Pleasant murder case.  During his interviews with Garrow, Mr. Armani learned of the location of at least two additional victims murdered by Garrow, even as the families of these victims still searched for their daughters.  As a result, Mr. Armani was torn between his concern for the two victims’ families and his attorney-client obligation to Garrow.  Mr. Armani made an immeasurable personal sacrifice during his representation of Robert Garrow and in the face of inconceivable opposition, strengthened our legal system by personifying what it means to be a lawyer.  The Honorable Norman A. Mordue was the lead prosecuting attorney against Robert Garrow in the case, which eventually led to Garrow’s murder conviction.

As part of the College of Law’s Professional Responsibility curriculum, this is the first time since 1973 that Frank Armani and Judge Mordue will discuss the Robert Garrow case together.