Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-01-31
THE LAWS DELAY,

he circulated IN other places than those
reached by that excellent magazine;
We therefore give It place In our coli
umns as worthy Of general as wen as
judicial attentions
Few win deny the evils that arise
from our laws delay There Is a safe
middle ground in the execution Of our
criminal laws that may well deserve
the attention OF those entrusted with
the conduct Of our courts The criminal
may be Justly entitled to a delay that
would carry him beyond the dangers OF
public clamor, but he has no right TO
delay that carries him to public indlf-
ference and TO sIckly sentimental
interest in his behalf There Is no rea-
son why he should have time to hatch
up perjury and wear out the public pa
thence.
The criminal knows that the longer
his case is delayed the more It will
stand upon the refined technicalties Of
the law. He knows, too. that human
memory fades with time and that time
Is the strongest defense he can have.
There is no doubt that IN England there
Is higher standard Of public justice IN
the enforcement Of the law It's en-
forcement is prompt and safe
What is the trouble in this country
Why are criminals kept before the
public unnecessarily month after month
and year after year, Those familiar
VITA our department Of justice under
stand perfectly well why public interest
Is worn out by procrastlnatlon, and q
healthy public interest is an essential
element In the just enforcement Of the
law. Every case must come up In It's
order, papers must be prepared, and
time given to meet the convenience of
ihe attorneys, II It were understood
that II certain class OF criminal cases
We're always entitled to the right Of
way, and TO prompt consideration, there
would be less delay In the settings.
Surely life and liberty take precedence
over property. and the public has the
right to. be heard first. II the judges
would insist upon promptness IA Grim
inal cases, they would perform an act
for which the public would be ever
grateful TO them II the judges, for in
stance, OF any district. would get TO-
gether and agree upon some plan by
which criminal business could be expe-
dited. everyone knows what the result
would be; and although the bar for a
while might murmur aud protest, the
learned gentlemen would soon adjust
Themselves Ia the new order OF things.
Again, our supreme court is just as
likely to place a criminal case az the
foot Of the calendar as at the head,
where II belongs. That tribunal, too,
Is as likely TO delay a decision in an Inn
portant criminal case as It Is in a civil
case. One cannot resist the thought,
that our judges might, II they would,
cut short the life of a criminal ease
one-half. II certainly makes great
difference whether man Is tried a
month or year after he has commit.
ted crime.
The delay In the enforcement Of Grim
inal laws Is often the cause Of light or
trl6ing sentences for serious crimes. or
course the public cannot always know
what the judges know who sit In case,
but the public knows that time makes
her certain effacement upon the mem
DRY and sense of Justice In a Judge as It
does In ordinary mortals. The public
Is growing nervous and restless In the
presence Of the increase Of so many hor-
rible crimes. After a while the public
will surely rest its eye upon a procrasu-
mating judiciary and demand reform,
where the welfare Of the public is so
much at stake. OF course. prosecuting
attorneys share the responsibilities Of
unnecessary and, TO the public, unjust
delays It is to be hoped that those
officials who sit undor the responsibility
OF crying evil win feel its weight with
greater force. and act with greater re-
gard for the security and safety Of the
public,
Why should the public treasures be
drained to met the accommodating ex-
penses OF the flaws delays" in guard
Ing and keeping criminals who have
had fair trials and received the just
judgments Of the courts? Why should
the burdens Of taxes be increased up
ON the toillng, peaceable iaw-abiding
citizens for the maintenance Of Grim
inaIs tried and condemned under the
law?
These long and tedious delays not
only give the criminal an undue advan-
tage IN escaping his just deserts but
they eften entail upon the public heavy
and unnecessary expenses. The honest
taxpayer who carries the burden Of our
courts IN the execution OF the laws is
entitled to some consideration. and jus
tioe ought not 10 be delayed at his
expense. To make criminal an unnec-
essory and prolonged burden upon law
abiding and frugal citizens is wrong,
and The continuance OF these unneces-
sary aud unjust delays in the eSecu-
ton OF our ofim:ns. laws oaSh. . se
abated. Our jury system is
not without its shortcomings in the