The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1893-01-05
A Way to Avoid Some Of the
Irksome Conditions
So Frequently Referred
to by The Signal.

Mh. MISUNDERSTANDING Seeu I'LL
item in your last issue concerning
Jail birds, 1 ask space this week to
suggest remedy.
We now have three prisoners in
our county Jail, and the jailer is al
lowed two dollars day for each
prisoner, which includes board This
would be six dollars per day, and it
is safe to calculate that coal, wood
and lights cost one dollar more, max
ing total expense to the taxpayers
of seven dollars per day. Now sup
pose we don't have court till June.
These prisoners were put in Jail in
October, making eight months of 80
days each, being 240 days at 81 per
day-$1, $50 for the keeping of these
prisoners, provided they keep well
and if they should get sick there
might be a large bill to pay for doc
tor and nurse besides Now, / ask
if this is fair for the taxpayers?
say no! But this is not all. Our
constitution guarantees to every one
the right of life, liberty, etc. Is it
not greater injustice to human rights
to compel these prisoners to be con-
fined in Jail eight or nine months,
and then perhaps prove to be inno-
cent, than to taxpayers to pay the
expenses? We were burdened last
winter with two men who were COM
PEELED to lay in Jail eight months at
| cost to the county of about 81, 500,
and jury of their peers said they
n were not guilty. Our great financiers
Y of this county have stopped the bung
hole but have been losing at the spigot.
Our law is now so arranged that the
district court may call an extra ses-
sion at any time. Now the question
Is, why did not Judge Nugent give us
an extra session and save the tax
payers of this county from 81, 900 to
$1,000, which by law he could have
done2 Let's see why he did not.
. Judge Nugent has four counties in
- district-Ada, Boise, Washington
= and Owyhee. By law he must hole
at least two terms in each county
1t is safe to say that at each term o.
court in Boise, Washington and Owy
hee, there are 30 cases, making lo(
!. cases in those three counties in eacl
y year. The docket in Ada count,
shows from 100 to 120 each term, bu
say (Which is too low that at eacl
term in Ada county there are only q
cases, making 1876 cases for the year
and 180 for the other counties, make
total number of $50 cases. Their
q being only 313 working days in
. year, this gives judge over one cas-
for every day in the year True, h
may and could dispose of two o
three small cases in a day, but re
u member there are some cases ths
Oh will take from two to six days, sue
as murder, mining and ditch cases
and others, and judge must haN
time to go from one county to anothe
to hold court; he must have SON
n time to hear motions at chamber
Besides, while it is presumed evel
person knows the law, it is a wror
presumption. No one knows it, ar
Judge must have time to look
law and points raised in suits. A
torneys often have large cases und
consideration for years and when
trial fail to raise all points necessar
Can Judge be expected to pass up'
such questions on the spur OF t
y moment and be correct-do justice
parties and litigants? Unquestion
bly, not. Judges are only human a
OF cannot, nor ought not, be expected
do more. Is it fair that jud
should set and try cases all day a
:. then at night hunt up points rails
by attorneys? Take new state Ii
ours, with but few decisions hand
~ down from our supreme court, q
when question is raised which is
decided by our statute, the attorn'
and judges are at sea, and they hi
to hunt up statutes of other sta
that are similar and see if they hi
been construed.
"s My idea to remedy this is to mi
moro iudioial districts and Judges