The Progress., 1893-04-22
DISTRICT GOuRI


The criminal term Of the District
Court met Monday at l. o'clock.
Judge 5. l.. Taylor on the bench.
Major w. ID. Scofeld was chosen
foreman, and the following additional
grand jurors empaneled:
Messrs. J. ;. Allison. u. u. Keith. J..
p. Hearne. II. 5. Green, John GlasSel
Jr., Louis Levy, w. =. Ogilvie. VIM.
Kennedy, j. G. NewbCrry, F. Martel
w. +. Glassell. W. L. Foster. T. !.
Basby. Henry Floraheim. G.. w. Hardy.
In charging them the Judge said:
In this parish crime is evidently on
the decrease. vt the September term
Of the court l97 complaints were
brought to your attention. on which
true bills were found in - cases; and at
the ensuing term in January last the
number of complaints was reduced To
% and thH number of Indictment.
to %
The district attorney tells mc that
the total number OF complaint, on
which yOu will be called to pass will
not exceed 30, ard our Jail can now
muster only % persons charged with
having violated the law during the in
terval between the TWO terms. This i
assurcdly gratifying exhibit. which
ought to stimulate all those charged
with the enforcement of the law 10 in
creased activity and ilnpartialitv i'm the
performance of official duty.
The following dissertation on the
duties and actions of petit juries. We
publish on account of the wholesome
truths told therein:
Their oath compels them to impar-
TALLY hear and true deliverancc
make between the State and the ac-
cused. Are they always under the sol
emn influence OF this oath? UnfOrtu-
nately, no. Too often is sworn duty
subOrdlnated to private friendship. or
made TO yield TO more corrupt motive.
juries deliberately di,regad
the law a. given in charge aud subali-
tute therefor their crude notions of
right and wrong. and at other times .
sympathy sets at naucht-
the most cOgent proofs of guilt anG re- I
fuses to convict because conviction
brings shame and disgrace. But the .
shame lies in the crime, not i'm the con
viction, which is but the just Response
to true accusation. and "a jury which. .
weakness or any other dis
creditable mOtive, fails to convict
where conviction is demanded is, if not
technically guilty Of perjury. consid-
cred forswOrn by all just-mindcd men.
The effect of one such lapse Of duty is
IN the highest degree harmful. 1t
teaches the lesson Cl uncertainty in the
of the law, and that ius-
tice goes by favor and not by lust
desert. The criminal classes are in
vited TO repeat their crimes by reason
Df the uncertainty of punishment.
while the rich and influential are led to
consider themselves above the law.
1t is no doubt better that ninety-nine
guilty ones should escape rather than
hat one innocent man should suffer.
Dut that Is no reason why any of the
guilty should escape. But they do
escape, and in great majority Of cases
he fault lies solely with the petit Jury.
{ IL the exclusive Judge of the law and
he fact, and from its judgment thereon
S no appeal. II the guilty should es-
ape there is no redress, for an acauit-
al is a perpetual bar to any further
prosecution for the same crime. Hence
he necessity of rigid impartiality in
he discharge of their duty-an impair
atty which cannot be swerved BY fear.
avor or any other disturbing cause,
nut looks only to the law and the evil
Ience as the guide of official conduct.
This, we suppose, means that the
'rand jury must investigate the actions
II petit juries, but whether of the past
n future, is not definitely given. We
Iuess it makes little difference. How
ver, as these. like justices of the peace
md constables, need investigating on
'eneral principles. [,