The age-herald., 1897-09-30
JUDGE FEAGIN FAVORS II Demand For Police Court Attor-
 ney Growing. HE GIVES SOUND REASONS He Is Placed at a Disadvantage in Having to Examine Witnesses to Prevent City
 Being Imposed Upon.

Judge Feagin has announced himself as being in favor of 9 prosecuting at torney for the police court and he gives several strong ressons for iiis decision in the appended interview
 Theris are others in Line with the judge. The demand is a growing one. The people are convinced that they can have more equitable showing in court W .th prosecuting attorney and it seems ta e the general opifsien that the city council will not be slow in acting on the univer- sal clamor at the earliest opportunity The only argument used against the proposition Is the condition Of the city treasury. It is said on every a1and thst this shous1 not deter the city Bath rs from so equipping the police court that justice would be guaranteed every one who becomes involved In 1t.
 A reporter for the Age Herald called at Judge Feagin's residences yesterday and found Em drinking Lithia water which has benefited his health cons.d- erably. After the preliminary greet n s were concluded Judge Feeg n wss asked for an expression of opinion concern ng the proposition to appoint prosecuting attorney for his court. He said:
 4I am heartily in favor of the proposi- ton and I favored the appointment of a prosecuting attorney for the inferior criminal court when I was appointed to the bench The matter was presented to the Legislature and at that time I did all could to have the prosecuting at.or- ney appointed
 'I will cite you one instance which goes to show the necessity of such an officer for the court. Tn csaaes where the defense endeavors Ito establish an allbi a rigid cross examination is nec-s -ary in order to throw night on the whole case. If the testimony is sound the alibi will stand the closest investigation, but if it is false rigid cross examination will disclose that fact If the judge is com pelfed to conduct the cross examirati Il he appears in the role of prosecuting at tonrev That places the judge in a very embarrassing situation. He does mt wal t to persecute the person before him on trial and yet he must discharge dhis full duty to justios in seeing that the guilty do not escape.
 .I have read what The Age Herald has printed in this connection, and it is my earnesit hope that the council will appoint the officer"
 Il has been suggested that the court has been conducted heretofore as a magistrates court without a prosecut- ing attorney. In that regard Judge Feagin said:
 '"The courts jurisdiction has been considerably enlarged, both in regard to territory and the criminal nature of eausss. Some very important cases are brought before me, and for the conduct of those trials I think the prosecuting attorney is very much needed. He should be a good lawyer. And while I am on that phase of the proposition I am reminded that inconvenfences, de- lays and possible defaults of justice may occur in the issuance of subpoenas for witnesses. The police officer not being learned in the law sometimes does not bring the right witness, or sometimes fails 10 summon important witnesses in the case. Ii the arresting o.ficer could have the advantage of I1osecutine attorneys advice I am sure the law could often be more speedily administere l.
 Again, there are a great many cases of trivia, taiJ'e in the inferior ci ,rn~ inal court. do not think it is neces- sary to have prosecuting attorney for that class, but for the important ones I am emphatically in favor of the prop osition."
 The judge had this to say respecting the reported practice of police conduct ing the trials in the police court:
 T do not allow the police to conduct the trial I do that, and personally ex- anime and inquire into tlie case as far as possible. Sometimes in order to gain full knowledge of the case, permit the police to ask the prisoner questions, which often brings out evil dence that I would not have reached, perhaps, otherwise"