The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-07-09
RECORDS OF CRIME.
District Attorney Barnes Files
His Annual Report.
He Finds Fault With Police Judges for Not
Exercising Greater Discretion-A
Years Work.

The annual report of District Attorney
w. 5. Barnes for the fiscal year ending
June 80 was filed with the Board of Super
ysors yesterday.
According to it Mr.. Barnes has now upon
his books total of 1926 cases. or these
5SS cases were reported pending July !, 1891,
many of them having been carried fol- a
number Of years. During the past year 737
cases were received. There have been 3l3
convictions. 142 acQuittals, 1O1 dlsmissals on
motion of the District Attorney. 46 charges
against persons sentenced for other oifenses
dismissed, lis persons are fugitives from
justice, and go cases are now pending.
There were received 107 appealed cases
from the Police courts, which, with II
cases pending at The beginning of the year,
make total of 124 appealed cases, of which
IL were affirmed, q were reversed, were
dismissed and % are nov pending.
CASES DISMISSED.
Mention is made of the number of cases
which 1t was found necessary to dismiss for
lack of evidence to convict Some were
ancient cases II were against II. j. Palmer,
who had been indicted by Grand Jury on
is charges OF forgery. He was tried upon
one and acquitted. As the evidence I'm all
the cases was similar, it was thought best
to dismiss the others. There were four
trials, and convictions being manifeStly
hopeless. the cases were dismissed.
Regarding the last cases Mr. Barnes
saws:
lie majority OF these cases. however, were
defendants who had been held TO answer during
the year by the Police courts for trial before the
Superior Court, and | cannot ref ain from CON-
mealing upon the fact that should the Police
Judges exercise a greater discretion in the
class and character of cases that are held for
TRIAL. very considerable responsibility would
be removed from the shoulders OF the District
Attorney, the courts would be In better running
condition, the calendar less eoHgested, and, as
conceive, the interests OF justice better sub
served.
RAPIDLY INCREASING BUSINESS.
Mr.. Barnes also ADDS that the volume of
business in the District Attorneys office is
increasing yearly at a rapid rate, aud says
that the time Is not far distant when. unless
more courts and more assistants are given
the District Attorney, the calendars will be-
come so chOked that it will be impossible to
press any cases even to a reasonably speedy
termination. The fact that there are go
cases pending this year as against 225 last
year is accounted for by the number Of long
and important cases which have been tried
In the past u months, namely, DR.. :. y.
Hall. charged with murder; ". Is. Curtis,
murder; John White. embeZzlement; Sid
ney Bell case. motion for a new trial. There
were also more cases received this year than
last. and also the abolition of the Industrial
School has entaiied much extra work on the
Office, complaints having been drawn in 55
cases, where IL was con SldeTed best to send
the young offenders 10 the Whittier Reform
School.
During the year 9S writs Of habeas corpus
were issued, of which As were granted and
80 denied.