The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1868-03-14

wv eHeiFHt WHrct Attorney, tleu. /
" Harris, k1q, viii sppIy with
equal foreo n thIa county
Ma Eafon--My esfneus solIcl.
istlon fm the welfare ~ ,ha good
people n your county, and especially
The ias-pnylng portion of The com.
hnualiy, induces me 10 write, and
may excuse . few suggestions, which,
" properly appreciated and acted
upon, may not prove ainlas, but save
70 ycuf county several thousand dol
lars 10 q very short time. Your
county jail has been crowded for the
last sis months with prisoners, wait
Ing their trial, at heavy expense,
and most Of them unable TO pay one
dollar Of the Jail fees, and probably
over half Of them charged with mis-
demeanors, which are properly cog
nizablc In the Justices Court. The
jail fees allowed Of the recent term
Circuit Court foot up the round sum
Of 81 ,237 for The last six months, half
Of which might have been saved If
The Justices Of the Peace had the
nerve to exercise the authority vested
in them. The act of the Legislature
Of October 80, 1866, sheet acts pages
3 and 4, article I, provides; "That
the Justices Of the Peace Of the sew
eral counties in this State shall have
special jurisdiction, concurrent with
the County Courts Of their respective
counties, Of all cases of assault, as
sault aud battery, in which no deadly
weapon is alledgcd to have been
used; all cases Of petit larceny, in
which the amount alledged to have
been stolen does not exceed the value
Of ten dollars; all cases Of unlawful
carrying OF firearms, insulting acts,
words, and gestures, and trespasscs
on property, real and personal, made
misdemeanors by law, committed in
their respective districts"
Let this law be observed and exc
cuted by each Justice and our jail
will not be filed to an overflow, and
we will soon save money enough, that
is now being paid out in the way Of
Jail fees, to build good courthouse,
saying nothing Of the expense ol
witnesses to prosecute these cases
Nor is this the only evil that result;
from this culpablc neglect Of duty
but il frequently occurs that party
Is arrested for simple assault, or as
sault and battery; he is brought be.
fore some dignified Justice, who
instead of trying the case and pun
ishing the party as he should do
binds him over TO the County Court
probably three months of, the part,
is unable 10 give the bail, (which !
probably excessively must go to jai
and await his trial, when be ought t.
be ploughing; but he lies in prisoI
three months and suffers enough L
atone for three such offences befor
he is tried. This is monstroos, It
egregriously wrong, an intolerabl
Outrage in any civilized community
a cruel hardship that Is not favore
by the law. II Is not the policy q
; the law to punish men before the
are tried-thcy may be innocent
The civil officers, and especially th
conservators Of the peace, are, to
5 very great extent, the custodians {
society, and ara responsible to societ
for any failure to execute properl
9 aud fearlessly the criminal law-th,
b is5puuish the guilty and protect d
: innocent. &
. A few hints may not be amiss jn
here, in relation to the exercise
Ia this authority. Il too oAen occu
tha, officers and citizens when maxim
. arrests, induce the pvisouer, BY son
threats or promise. to make 4 oonfe
"a sion that they may ne against hin
. This practice should not be encou
NJ aged, and the officer investigatir
> the nss should inform the accused
I his rights-that he is not bound
,e plead guilty-that he is to pie
\. gnilty, or NOT iiuily--that he is n
or bound to make any statement Of !
. ease--that IL he docs, !, may be US
agiss him. Ifs statement !. mas
u must be. voluntay-no. und
ID oath-but must be written dov
e signed by the accssed. and sled vi
o. the uapers and sent, tocefher vi