The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-20
Judge Lippincott Wants to
See the Indicted E1ec-
tion Officers Before
the Court.
"A LETTER TO WINFIELD.
His Honor Wants to Know Why
Warrants Committed to Sher-
if Davis Have Not
Been Returned.


cutor Winfield's Office this morning by a
constable sent there by Judge Lippfn-
cott- When asked by reporter Of The
JERSEY CITY NEWS il he would make
public the communication, Judge Lippin-
colt, after few moments Thoughts, re-
piled s'Yes.''
For" said he, sit is matter that di-
rectly interests the public and it has q
perfect right to be possessed Of the infor-
nation. The document was then given
to the reporter, who made this copy
JERSEY CRY, Sept. 90, 1890
Hon. CHARLES WINFIELD,
Prosecutor of the Pleas,
DEAR SIR:-Up to the present time DUR
ing the present term. the criminal jury
trials have occupied about four hours.
A large number of old cases running
back for over three years remain on the
criminal calendar untried. The Court
has no knowledge whether they are in
a condition for trial or not. It is to be
assumed thar they are not ready for trial,
else they would have been moved, as the
Court has been very often and is now en-
tirely out of business In much larger
number of cases In which indictments
have been found, the defendants havenot
been brought in and arraigned.
Warrants of this court have been duly
issued and placed in the Sheriff's hands
for the apprehension Of defendants.
These warrants have not been returned,
and the Court has no means of knowing
whether the defendants can be found or
not. Certainly the chance of finding
these defendants grows less day by day.
The Court now has under consideration
the advisability Of proceeding to compel
the officers of the law TO perform their
duty. under the penalty Of attachment
for contempt. TheyCourt has for whole
year by every other means in It's power
endeavored to havesthis duty performed.
and it finds itself powerless except it pro-
ceeds to extreme process, a proceeding
which will bake some time yet.
Therefore, from the latter source no
business can be expected for q time. So
far as this Court is concerned the current
business to be presented by the Grand
Jury during the present term. can be
readily disposed. It viii. perhaps. take
but little more thansa weeks continuous
work to dispose of all that is furnished
for the term. The Orphans Court busi-
ness and business in the Common Pleas
and other work is always performed at
times when jury trials can not be had.
1t is clear that the Court will prob
ably be engaged but short time during
the next two months Gin ordinary crime
inal trials. 1t seems to the Court there
fore that there is now fair opportunity
to give attention to.iand by trial dispose
of the indictments against the election
officers found at the last term Of this
court.
These cases are of great Importance,
both as regards the State and the defend
ant, and ought to be disposed of as speed
lily as possible. The Court has now ample (
time to make all arrangements for struck
juries in the case as applied for by the
State or the defendants, and there exists
no reason FOR any delay whatever.
In the beginning of the term it was sup
posed that the accumulation of business
would be such as TO engage fully the at
tention of the Court for some time. but
that conclusion seems to be incorrect,
and it being so. the present is a fitting
opportunity to dispose of these electi0A
cases. Very respectfully.
JOB III. LIPPINCoTT,
Presiding Judge
Ea;lures of the Kaelx