Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1879-05-28
Parish Attorney.


remarked in my hearing and repeated Ct
with emphasis that the parish attorney :
WAS paid q salary 10y the polio" jury Tor
nothing. ny which, suppose, he meant
that the attorneys services were worth
nothing to the pari-h-nrither facilitated
bu,incs. nor obviated expenses. pro
nos. to- examine thi. question and test til"
Justice of this charge. That no la" re-
auirrs the police jury to employ one only
by implication il conceded. II is more
matter of -xpdicncy aud necessity than
Of compulsion. II is trn" that the police
irry might, with al expert clcrS ana II
few experienced members, transact tn" !
ordinary runtiur of business without I'll" /
aid If i trained lawyer. but there VIII !
fnnhtlrs- arise cases requiring the en- !
ulo,mcnt Of legal counsel which, IL en-
.,,yrd LIZ contract in each individual casr,
| might aggregate a total of fees much III
.xcr-. Of the annual salary Of an attorney
/ paid b! the year.
| II may not generally he known that in
all cases of importance wherein charges
are made by information or indictment
arai I parties who trrSpass against the
pra,,' aud dignity of III" -i"'" that III"
prr>idiu. judy" Of the district or PARISH
court. will r;nploy at their discretion
counsel to represent the parish "r stat" ~
IN, absence of a commissioned attorney
! ,.nn.u1t.
ing the wishes of the police jury, who can
neither set aside his choice nor withhold
CONDENSATION for such services. Aud tins
too is liaulr to Il recurrence at ra-li session
of the district and parish counts. How
f.ruurutly these things might orcnr, ami
what fee. would ~ awarded cannot lie
d .tcrInucd III advance with any degree oi
accuracy. But there arr other c"nsidrli-
tious that should not he left nut III our
reckoning. There il n conscr'atir" inf'n-
, cncr that ii il presumed parish attorney
. would use. on the prinripl, that can onnc"
T of prevention is wcrth pound ct cure.
4 IL il Internationally his duty, and has
| been the practice Of onr attorney, t.
dissuadc from prosecution III trial cases
e (Which are often the trcspass'' m"r'
J. against the pride, arrogance aud petty
= rrciudicrs of malignant individuals, or u
I NAV hr of good and upright citizens
Il ,martiny under the lash of recent insult %
" fnncicd wrong which time and patience
Z could better rcctify thaH courts aud Jurir'
~ Ii i. in this attitude of peacc-makcr, dis
u -undinr from iuludicious prosecutions an
lr refusing io do the bidding Of frantic an
u zcal-blindcd jealousy on malignant hate
u that he performs his obscure hut mos
T. valuable service Ia the parish and stat
and stops the largest leak in the publ
r. treasury" The present incumbent has
n commission from the Governor who
If authorized and required by Law To rrpoi
III attorneys pro trmpore throughout III
state said attorneys to receive snlary
i, he fixed 10y the police inrics, providrd
& shall not lr, les than oHr hundred dol'a
e per year. Under operations "f this Ia
-, the present incumbent can hold the pi''
II ana IaNlnllN ulHN lulS Ntldi VI plN ~"
at drcd dollar. regardless of any use Il
wy ,olicc Jury may have for his services
ny amy cognilancc they may take OF his of
nj cIal existence.
ict The police jury have no further author
nd tv over the Office of the district attrru
pro t,mpnrr than 10 declare his salary
4 4.
an law. If t" n police jury AS II body !
Il, advice aud legal attachments may br l
he gar,lrd valuable, if he is expert and !
ms pr,acicucy can by them hr made aNailal
49,. III drawing up ordinances, official proc
ma nations aud announcements; if rs know
edge of the law, both as to its rrqniI
mrnis Of the performance If ia" duti
'S' ,ninlnrd and Of restrictions imposed up
"" the mrlnhci> alike III their individual a
Wv collected capacity hr regarded valnah
wv II Is the right and the privilege of I
" police jury to appralse the value Of sn
''N service at their discretion at ANY amou
'"" above that iNcd 10y the statute. snni'
'"I only 10 the approval of the attoru
~ hlns, As to the amount nf salary Il
lol. .h,ul.I L.. ,l,o,,,d /, j. .....,L,, Il.
~" cate and far more ditficult matter to
WIS mine. Very few persons know OF cv
w. can approximate the value Of such ser
','' ccs. The police jury I'll their super
''' opportunities of Judging find much dl
NJ! Guilty il estimating what is proper co
'''' pensation. several points are neccssar
's'' considered in the reckoning.
use
lst. An attorney must he con ctent