The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-01-22
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
The Criminal Court Costs of Maury
County, tennessee,
Exceeds the Amount Spent by the Entire
State of Georgia.


to go into the subject of criminal costs,
except in so far as reform in that direc
ton may require constitutional amend
ment. Our people have, to some extent,
become aroused to the enormity of the
burden which the present system of
criminal cost entails upon them and
the drain which it has become upon the
public treasury. But there are m any
reforms in this system which are with
in the power of the Legislature to effect
that the House has aleady taken a step
in the right direction, by putting At
tOrneys-General on salaries Of $500 per
annum and turning the excess of fees
into the States eXchequer. But this is
but small item of reform compared
with that which the people of the State
expect of this Legislature.
The fact that the prosecution of crime
costs the State of Tennessee one million
dollars ($l0OO,OOO) per annum, while
crime is just as successfully prosecuted
in our neighbor State of Georgia at a
cost of ten thousand dollars ($l0,OO0) per
annum, furnishes sufficient argument
for reform, and points out great OPP
portunity for the reduction of our
enormous public expenses.
/ do not believe that the people of
Maury County have any idea of the
amount of money that Maury County
me- 81,
In 1895 the County paid $l4,6O596 and
the State for Maury County paid $5,S79.-
: "a, making the total of S20,4S5.30 that the
County of Maury spent in the year 1895
for the prosecution of criminals; more
than twice as much as the whole State
of Georgia pays out for the same pur-
pose. But some of the larger counties,
where crime is more rife and where the
abuses of the criminal cost system is
more fragrant, furnish much more
, startling figures.
For instance, Hamilton County in
1895 spent $7S, 69j,ll and Shelby 1882. II
on account of criminal cost; and one OF
Shelby's prominent citizens stated the
other day that this item would reach
100000 in Shelby for this last year
These facts are indeed startling rev
Citations.
But we are slightly DEPRESSING. While
it is in the power of the Legislature tC
give great relief by cutting down fee,
and putting officials on salaries, yet Nc
, thorough reform in the administration
= of our criminal law and cost system car
7 be effected without constitutions
I amendment.
Our whole system of administerin.
criminal law is cumbersome and slow
! and is not only the source of the heavi
est item of expense to the State and t,
the Counties, but, on account of it
: delays and cumbersomeness, brings
j severe reproach upon the administra
= ton of justice.
] Under our present system the usua
o course is for one charged with crim
= to be brought before Justice of tn,
4 Peace on a warrant. The witnesse
appear and testify before the Justice
- The prisoner is bound over to the Crane
. jury. The witnesses are subpoenaet
before the grand jury and an indict
ment is found. The case is then Gale,
, in the Circuit Court for trial, and tn
witnesses must then appear again
= Thus are witness fees and all manner o
- other costs piled up.
The amount which Maury Count,
spends in witness fees alone is astonish
I ing. In 1895 she paid out of the Stat
a and County's money $4,4OS.77 County
$2,O5l.1; State, $2,357O6) to witnesses
Tor, rather, to those who speculate il
witness fees.) The witness-fee busi
;, ness is such a large business that spec
ulators in nearly every County in tn
State make handsome incomes by trad
ing in them. While this amount seem
large for Maury, yet Hamilton Count
in the same year spent 81, 229.63, Estate
S,963.Sl; County, $9,265S2) in witnes
fees alone, which shows the extent t,
which abuses under this system may b
carried.
We should do away entirely with thi
system. The grand jury should b
abolished, and instead of our presen
d Criminal and Circuit Courts with thei
grand jury attachments, we shout