In Hallowed Halls

THE PLACE OF JUSTICE IS A HALLOWED PLACE. Not far from where that motto is displayed in the Justice Department's Washington headquarters, a new portrait was unveiled last week. The likeness was that of Richard Kleindienst, the first Attorney General ever to be convicted of a crime. A casualty of Watergate, he had pleaded guilty to testifying falsely before a U.S. Senate committee.

No mention of Kleindienst's conviction was made in the low-key 15-minute ceremony. It was clear that the department was trying to routinely follow its practice of displaying the portraits of all past Attorneys General. There is more apprehension over what to do about John Mitchell, the first Attorney General ever convicted of a felony (Kleindienst's crime was a misdemeanor). So far, Mitchell has not found time to pose for an artist.

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