He says these incidents "raise some importantethical issues" with regard to the nominationbecause Fried "reveals him self to be far lessthan exemplary."

But Fried characterizes Turk's charges as thewords of someone who is angry that he was on thelosing side.

"There was a fight [over ending rent control]and they lost, and now they're mad," Fried says."The decision about rent control was taken to thehighest state authority and they lost 5-0 in theSupreme Judicial Court," he adds.

Threatening Students

Yet another obstacle to Fried's nomination isan incident which occurred at Harvard Law School(HLS) in 1992, when he reportedly threatened tohave students disbarred for holding a sit-in inhis office.

In March, 1992 fifteen students staged a sit-inat Fried's office protesting his allegedlydiscriminatory views on minority hiring practices.The sit-in occurred at a time when law schoolstudents were pressuring the administration todiversify the faculty at HLS.

The students unfurled banners in Fried's officeproclaiming their protest. Fried responded bythreatening the students with academic and policedisciplinary action, according to a 1992 Crimsonarticle.

Fried also reportedly said he would contact thestudent's respective bar districts and inform thebar associations of the students' trespassingoffense, according to Boston Herald reports atthat time.

Jane E. Sender, the president of theMassachusetts Women's Bar Association, says thisincident shows that Fried lacks the propertemperament for a judicial position.

"[The Women's Bar Association has] seriousreservations about Professor Fried...based on hisreputation for a lack of fairness and lack ofjudicial temperament," Sender told the Herald.

In a press conference last week, Cynthia Creem(D-Newton)--a member of the Governor's Councilwhich will make the final decision on Fried'snomination--also expressed concern about Fried'sTemperament.

"I am concerned with what I heard and theinformation that calls into question his judicialtemperament," Creem says.

Even though Fried acknowledged in the BostonHerald that it was "a mistake" to threaten thestudents with extensive disciplinary measures, hetold The Crimson that the students were wrong tohave held their protest in his office.

"These are young lawyers," Fried says. "Theyshould think about what would happen if they satin on a judge's chambers or in the [districtAttorney's] office."

"It's completely inconsistent behavior withrespect for law and orderly behavior," Fried says."In an attorney it would be completelyunacceptable."