The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-01-26
A Good Bill.

We ElNS ueloM u copy oi tue bill ?
which has ben placed in the hands of
Senator Rohrback, aud which, we
trust, will meet with the fav. rable con-
sid ration If our leg slative body now
in session. SO near to the pockets of
our people does it and its suits stand,
that We feel that every voter in Fred
er ok county shou d know its exnet
language, and hence it follows ia full:
An Act to add an additional section to
Article ii of the Code of Public Local
Laws of the State of Maryland, title,
Frederick County" subtitle, JUS
tees of the Peace and Constables," so
as to give additional criminal jurisdic-
ton to the justices OF the peace in said
county.
SECTION /. Be it enacted by the General
Assembly of Maryland, That an additional
section be and the same is hereby added to
Article J. of the Code of Public Local
Laws OF the State ofMaryland, title, Fred
erick County," subtitle, justices of the
Peace aud Constables,h so as to give ad-
ditional criminal jurisdiction to the justices
of the peace of said county, said section to
be numbered section two hundred and
ninety A, and to read as follows:
The several justices of the peace of Fred
eriek County shall have. in addition to the
jurisdiction which they now possess and
which may be conferred upon them by or
under the laws of this State, jurisdiction
concurrent with that exercised by the Cir
cult Court for said county in all cases of as
MT f.lN inf in
all eases of assault and battery, and in all
misdemeanors not punishable by contine-
ment in the penitentiary, which may be
committed within their jurisdiction, and
shall have jurisdiction in all prosecutions
or proceedings for the recovery of any pen
atty for doing or emitting TO do any act,
the doing of which, or the omission to do
which, is made punishable under the laws
of this State, within their said jurisdiction
by any pecuniary fine or penalty, or by
Imprisonment in Jail or in the Maryland
House OF Correction, all of which acts or
omissions are hereby declared to be crimi
nal offenses; aud the said justices shall
have power to issue all process and to do
all acts which may be necessary to the eX
ercise of their said jurisdiction; and may
try and determine all cases whereof they
may have Jurisdictions; and may pronounce
Judgment and sentence therein, in the same
manner and to the same extent, as the
| Circuit Court for said county could in such
cases, if such eases were tried before them,
without the Intervention of a jury; pro-
vided however that if any person, when
brought before any such justice, having
| jurisdiction of the case, shall before trial
for the alleged otiense, pray jury trial,
being first informed by said justice before
whom the case is tried and before the case
is tried. of his right to a jury trial, it shall
/ be the duty Of any such justice to commit
such alleged offender for trial in the Cir
cult Court for the county in which the al
| legged otfense was committed at its then ses-
| sion, if it be then in session, or at its next
session, if it be not then in session, and to
return said commitment or recognizance
with the names and residences of the wit
nesses for the prosecution endorsed thereon,
forthwith to the clerk of the said court;
and in receiving the recognizance sent up
| by the Justice, the clerk shall place the
same on the appeal docket and issue sub
| poena for the witnesses named by the JUS
/ tice, and the case shall he tried on the in
| formation or the warrant rs if on appeal
|
| Justice and trial before him the accused
shall feel aggrieved, there shall be right
of appeal to the Circuit Court for the
county in which the alleged offense is
charged to have been committed; in case
| the Judgment of the Justice of the Peace is
against the accused, he may appeal, enter
into a recognizance with security to be APP
proved by the Justice of the Peace; and in
every such case the appeal shall be taken
prayed within ten days after Judgment en-
tered.
SECTION 3 And be it enacted That all
acts or parts of acts inconsistent with the
provisions OF this act, be and the same are
hereby repealed, so far rs the same may be
inconsistent herewith.
SECTION 3 And be it enacted, That this
act shall take effect from the first Monday
in May, nineteen hundred.
For several years past the people of
this county have been complaining
about the costs AID court expenses at
tending our criminal business. Petty
cases of assault and battery and carry
ing concealed weapons, together with |
Other misdemeanors, have been engag-
ing The attention of our court, presided
over, as it is, with grace aud dignity by
Judge McSherry, a most distinguished
Appeal Court Justice. assisted by two
,ther able judges. These cases take up
he time of these gentlemen in The adj
of justice, consume our
peoples money at an expense Of nearly
200 per day while court lasts, and to
emedy this extravagant expense the
bove bill has been prepared. 1t takes
bout S. 600 annually to pay the jurors
nd ,alesmeu who serve at our court
erms. Over 50, 900 year is appropri-
tied to pay Witnesses before both the
,rand and petit juries. To cut these
expenses in half is the idea of the above
bill, and it will do it If it becomes
aw. The time of our count is too valu-
Ible to the taxpayers 10 be spent in
ryiug negro assault cases and other
kindred misdemeanors. to say nothing
If the fact that our Circuit Court in
its criminal business has
not of late years been much above a
police court. The Investigations of the
grand jury are always expensive, and
f it is possible to reach the same ends
n giving Justice to all at less expense,
common sense and logic dictates but
me course. Not only will the above
dill save about $4,000 per annum on ac-
count of juries and witnesses, but an