The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1893-11-01
JUDGE ]. N. GRIGGS
.n,vERs AN ORIGINAL AND INTER
EsTING CHARGE
ma Grand Jury in Pike County--Som,
New Law to Many Justices
of the Peace.

New Law to Many Justices
of the Peace.
rho Griffin News has the following
,onded and very complimentary notice
4 Judge Griggs, who held Pike superior
amt fo Judge Hunt:
Members of the bar and the grand jury
~ have attended court at Zebulon the
,st week are loud in their praises of
P Pndce ] NJ. Grigg, the young judge of
~, pataula circuit, who presided in the
Snperiorcourt.
The Judge seerls to have the faculty of
+,ansacting a great deal.of business with
t5p utmost dispatch, and in court room
y which the best order prevails. AS a
Escplinarian, be is unequaled by any
"np heretofore seen IN the circuit. At
No same time, he is so fair in all that he
loes and his methods SO pleasant that
"rsrv one falls at once in love with his
g.vs and the satisfaction With him is
general.
The charge to the grand jury was out
The old beaten track, and for that rea-
.on and for it's wit and sound sense re-
soived the closest attention lie opened
Gs charge with the road question and
tGa the grand jury that in attending
eourts from his earliest infancy he had
heard Judges in their charges assert
that good roads were evidences of civil
alton IN communities viii 3h have them.
IgAs rode here this morning." said the
mdge, ION my way from Griffin to Zebu-
IioD, [ enjoyed drive on as good road
AZ have ever travelled, until suddenly
.my happiness ceased, for saw a terrible
imospect of a road ahead. Ehe end of
.tbe GOOD and the beginning of the bad
was sudden. | asked Judge Boynton
what it meant, and he said the good road
ended at the Spaaing county line, and
Pike county was ahead. 1t is too true,
gentlemen, that my heart misgave me,
for | concluded that in leaving Spalding
county. left civilization behind me-"
When charging upon their duty to in
spect the books of justices of the peace,
he was very explicit. He told them to
look diligently at the criminal docket,
and if they could find any Justice of the
peace who had in any criminal case
charged one cent of costs in any criminal
case and had receiv I'd one cent from
either prosecutor or a defendant to
indict the justice of the peace. They
have NJ authority to settle any case, nor
have they che right to dismiss any case
and charge costs for it. If a criminal
case is made before them tits their duty
to investigate it. If there is no sufficient
crime made out they may dismiss it, but
cannot charge for it. If the charge is
made out they must send it up for trial
and no costs shall be charged or collect
ed except after conviction in the higher
court, and then only from the fines and
fOrfetures. "Do the the justices COM
plain?" asked the judge; II answer,
then you are not obliged to hold the
office. You sought the Office. The office
lid not seek you You get ample cos
n your civil business and must not levy
Jlackmail on innocent defendants under
charge before you nor upon men who
'eek to punish crime in your courts.
"Unless every justice If the peace
hall have his books before your body
or examination by noon of the first day
II court, indict him, and, if when he
rings his books you can find that he
las collected one cent of criminal cots
rom either party to criminal case, in
fCt him for that
Judge Griggs is one of the youngest
udges in Georgia, and decidedly one of
he best.
He promises to hold court in Griffin
Then Judge Hunt shall write him to do
O. He will receive welcome from our
ar md people.