Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1882-05-04
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
WEDNESDAY, May 3, 1882.

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and the clerk.
The County Recorder was allowed ont
deputy for one month at $50 per month
Prayer and Harmon voting no.
The petition for Strengthening the
Monterey road in Pasadena was granted
The petition to change the old Sar
| Bernardino road and Dalton and Pomo
ma road was granted on motion of SUI
pervisor Harmon.
The Clerk was instructed to advertise
in the Anaheim Gazette for bids to pub
fish the County advertising for one year
Bids must specify the rate per square foi
each insertion, and the rate per square
for each subsequent insertion. 1t is
hereby understood that square is ten
nonpareil lines.
A communication from the Telephone
Company was read offering to place a
telephone in the Court House at the or.
binary rates: $40 for building line and
setting instruments, and monthly rem
tai of 81 per month. Offer accepted,
Supervisor Prayer voting no.
The following resolution was offered
by Supervisor Egan:
WHEREAS, A number of irresponsible
persons have filed large numbers Of
criminal complaints against supposed vi.
olators of the so-called Sunday law; and,
WHEREAS, The expense of trying cases
for the violation of said law cannot well
be less than $50 in each case; and
WHEREAS, There are already some
800 cases commenced, and if the present
rate of filing complaints continues there
| will be some 2000 in all before the Leg.
islature meets, which will cost the coun-
| ty $500, 900, if tried, and accomplish
nothing save the financial ruin of the
county; therefore,
Resolved, That the Clerk be instruct
ed forthwith to have printed 200 copies
of the following circular:
To the District attorney and Justices o.
the Peace Of Los angeles County.
GENTLEMEN If the present system OF
so-called Sunday law prosecutions is al
lowed to continue, the county treasury
will be depleted and an enormous bur-
den of taxation forced upon our people;
therefore, the Board of Supervisors, as
guardians of the taxpayers interests. call
upon you to observe the following rules
in relation to criminal prosecutions un-
der the so-called Sunday lazy:
The District Attorney will cease ap-
pointing outside attorneys, as special
deputies, for the prosecution of these
cases, and will attend to all prosecutions
himself, or by his regular deputies, as
the regular business of the county will
permit. There is no reason why any
exceptions shall be made in favor OF
prosecutions for violations of the Sunday
law to the detriment of the regular bus
mess of the county.
All persons desiring violators of the
Sunday law prosecuted, will leave the
names of the violators and the with esses
in each case with the District Attorney,
who will take them up and try them in
regular order as he has time
Justices of the Peace will, whenever
any person comes to them to file COM
plants in this class of cases, refer such
persons to the District Attorney, and
file only such complaints as the District
Attorney approves. In all cases where
persons attempt to file complaints out of
the township where the offence is alleged
to have been committed, the Justice
should send such persons to the Justice
of the township where the offence has
been committed.
Justices are referred to Sec. % of the
Act to regulate fees and salaries in the
county of Los Angeles, Statutes 1878,
| which reads MS follows: "No officer
shall issue a subpoena for witness on
behalf of the public unless he deems
that the public interest requires it, Jun
less the prosecutor or other party de-
handing it shall advance the witness
fees" Large numbers of witnesses are
subpenaed in this class of cases, when,
| as rule, the defendants do not dispute
the facts, therefore Justices should limit
the number of witnesses for the prose
cution, unless the prosecutors advance
| the fees.
Justices of the Peace are requested
not to recognize outside attorneys as
prosecutors unless they appear in con-
junction with the District Attorney OF
his regular deputies The attention OF
the District Attorney and Justices OF
the Peace is especially called to Sec
1885, Penal Code, and they are earnestly
requested to exercise whatever power
they have hereunder, to the fullest eX.
tent possible.
In conclusion, we request all the law
officers of the county, and all sensible,
fair minded citizens, to aid this Board in
their efforts to save the payers OF
the county from having an enormous
extra burden imposed upon them.
While not desiring in any way to clog
the wheels of Justice, or to shield Grim
inals, this Board cannot refrain from ex
pressing an opinion that, in view of the
fact that numerous cases have been
prosecuted and tried, with failure tc
convict, further agitation on this ques
ton had better be deferred until the
next Legislature meets, when the will o.
the people, through their representa-