Davis, St. Clair Take Honors In Ames Competition Finals

With a decision in favor of the respondent, three distinguished federal judges last night brought this year's Ames Competition to a close in Langdell Courtroom at the Law School. Winners of the three year long competition were Charles W. Davis 3L, and James D. St. Clair 3L, giving the oral argument, and Thomas P. Ford 3L, and Lambert Turner Jr. 3L, who prepared the briefs.

Judge Peter Woodbury, of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals, presided as the Chief Justice in the fictitious Commonwealth of Ames and announced the decision of the court after two and a half hours of technical legal debating by the student competitors. He concluded with the remark that both sides had done an excellent job that augured well for their success.

The final case, for which the two four-man teams have been preparing for weeks, was entitled the Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Louise Rockey and involved some very fine points in the law concerning the taxibility of income from an inherited trust fund.

In his summation, Judge Woodbury and his colleagues, Judges John E. Murdock and John W. Kern, both of the United States Tax court, said that they declined to render a decision on the legal merits of the case, so difficult were the points of law involved.

Over 100 people gathered in the Langdell Courtroom for the event which was carried on with much solemnity and traditional ceremony. An attendant bearing an ancient mace preceded the judges into the room and on their entrance everyone present arose until the judges were seated.

The opposing team, which represented the petitioner, was composed of John Cancian 3L, George N. Leighton 3L, Herbert Berman 3L, and Daniel Kraemer 3L.