New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-04-09
Courts and Trials In Rio Janeiro.

My friend first took me to q Judge
at Chambers. The audience-roOm il
very neatly furnished; the entrance is
through curtain coorways, and there
is no slammlng nor sqneaKing Of doors;
all Is quiet and decorous and comforta-
BILE; portrait of the Emperor of Bra
iii hangs over the Judges chair; this
court corresponds to the Specia!
Term of the New York Supreme Court;
the Judge tries the cause, in the first
instance, without jury; the jury is
only employed here in criminal cases.
never in civil. The Supreme Court of
the Empire is Court of Appeals; it
never tries cases, but only reviews
them, and confirms or sends them back
for q new trial. There is an interme-
date court called the Court of Appeals,
which hears the first appeal from the
trial Judge. saw the Supreme Court
sitting; there are seventeen Judges, all
old men, wearing heavy, cloth gowns,
and each one with snuff:box and large
coiored silk handkerchief before him;
they sit around one large table, the
Chief Justice at the head, and hanging
above him portrait of the Emperor
in military costume. These Judges
argue with each other, in banc, upon
printed appeal books; they seem TO
take sides like counsel, differing warm
~. Each case is decided by MAORI
ty vote. In this court there is no oral
argument by COUNSEL allowed except
in habeas corpus cases; all others are
submitted in printed points. and no
counsel are present. Lawyers are d.
vided into solicitors and counsellors;
the latter must be doctors or bachelors
of laws; doctor or bachelor may be
2 solicitor, but not vice versa; doctor is
. merely honorary title, but only a
uoctor can wear ring with ruby in
it on the third finger OF the left hand. A
doctor of medicine can wear an emerald
ring.
Solicitors study five years for their
degree of bachelor, and must wait
three years more for the degree of doc
tor. I visited the Orphans or Probate
Court; the crier seemed to do the most
of the business there. There, too, is q
portrait of the Emperor over the
Judges head. Then went to the Pc.
lice Court, and witnessed the jury trial
of negro slave, accused of assault
with intent to kill. The District At
torney made fine speech, very well
delivered; he was dressed in q silk
gown or surplice, with a long lace tie
with broad ends; he. acted well; and
with his cast of feature, and style of
insinuating to the jury, would make a
splendid 1ago. There are two District
Attorneys at Rio, each getting $4,000 a
year, and working every other month;
in their off months they can practice
for themselves. When the witness for
the prosecution was sworn every per-
son in the court room rose to show re-
spect to the oath. The Judge wears a
heavy cloth gown. There Is no por-
trait Of the Emperor in this court ;
where the jury exists the people rule.
1t was q good looking jury. Only one
witness was called for the prosecution;
as he told what he saw of the result,
the accused hung his head and looked
guilty; his counsel was paid by his
owner, probably $3.50. The defense
did not cross-examine or produce any
witnesses in this case. The District
Attorney, when addressing the jury,
stood BY the side of the Judge. The
prisoners counsel stands in q detached
pulpit at the opposite end (from the
Judge) of the table, where the jury sit.
Twas told that this gentleman before
me was the best criminal lawyer in
Rio. He lately received one fee OF
$4,000 to defend an accused planter.
He certainly made q splendid speech
in this case, which I easily understood,
even with my limited knowledge Of
Portuguese, because Of his deliberate,
rotund and finished delivery. It was q
magnificent speech as piece or ora
tory. He began b. saying that this is
not q trial of the accused BY his peers,
:. for you are freemen and gentlemen,
but the prisoner is miserable slave;
therefore stamp on him! Crush himi
Give great victory to progress and
civilization by taking vengeance on
this poor serf! Vengeance, for what!
Because when he was struck he struck
In return. But you are not his peers;
he has NO wife he can have none;
tear his woman from his arms treat
them like beasts! He has children but
they are not his by law; awsy with him
to prison for twenty years, for what
can slaves unlawful children care
for himP'' It was fine. Then he at
tackled the Indictment, or accusation.
and finally settled down to lead the
Jury quite away from the actual issues
and to interest them in side points.