The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-01
Delay n Criminal Trials.

| Attorney General Clifford Anderson, in
his fifth biennial report. which was male
| just before be retired from Office. and which
was distributed in pamphlet form a few
| days ago reviews at considerable length
the Voolfolk case-il so ne respects { e
most remarkable criminal Gaze in this Grim
inal histJry OF Ge highland makes some
comments which are we'll worthy the after
ton Of tbs legislature. One Comment is
that the case demonstrates tle necessity for
a change Ia the law relative t. criminal,
and especially capital, cases Mr.. Ander-
son gays:
A law which admits Of such delay as 10
enable ingenious council to postpone the
punishment OF guilty cliont for more than
three yeaTS after the preparation Of the
crime, must be radically defective. Under
the Law, as 10 now sta d., II Is not difficult
to pottpoue the review OF lse by the SUI
preme court until the second term after the
one at which the party "es convicted in
tue superior court, IT to delay a hearing in
.he supreme court for from six To ten
months after convfc5io in the court below.
! n my judy nent, the time alio ned for fl
Ing and perfe ting motto for a new tIial,
as well as for disposlng # such
n motion In the superior court and for filing
such motion, should be limite 10 a much
shorter p rod than now allowed. | think,
too, that capital cases ought t. be advanced
and more promptly disposed of in supreme
court am persuaded that much Of the
dissatisfacti II manifested by the people
wth the Administrative OF tho criminal
laws, Is caused by the unnecessary delay IN
bringing accused persons G. illal trial, AID
that much OF the disposition TO res TT to
summary punishment OF persons believed to
De guilty is traceable to the same cause.
There Is no doubt that tho delay In pun
ishing criminals, particularly murderers.
encourages the commission of murder.
ecause by delay in reaching final verdict
justice is more often defeated than in any
other way. The longer thu trial of "A Grim
inal is delayed the moro difficult it Is 10 get
the evidence OF his guilt. The witnesses
get beyond the jurisdiction Of the cour IS, or
become indifferent whether justice is done
or not, or, yielding to the influence Of
friends OF the accused. fail to rocall the
most important portions of the Information
in their possession. Aud when person
accused Of murder, who is believed to be
guilty, escapes punishment the fear OF the
law is lesseaed aud murders become more
frequent.
Delays in criminal trials impo7e heavy
burdens on the tax payers. The costs in
the several triHisof Voolfolk amounted to
many thousapds PG dollars, which the peo-
Pile of Bibb'cdtfhty lad to pay. And there
was nevercsatn any time any reasonable
doubt Of Moo FOLKS guilt. 1t is not to be
wondered atthat where there are long and
costly dcinyssSin bringing criminals to
justice, aodG'where these delays are the
means by which criminals escape punish
mont, poopleiose confidence in the courts
and resort b. lynch law. Let the law be
aineoded ~ nccordance with Mr.. Ander-
sons suggestion The legislature can render
the state nogreater service than to lessen
the cost of criminal trials aid make tho
punishment Of crime more swift aud sure
by wise legislation.