Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-02-04
WEDNESDAY: FEBRUARY 4, 100
the GRAND JURY SYSTEM.

THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM.
The grand jury system has been 8
part of the English system of juris'
prudence from the earliest times
Mention of it is made in the aunals
of king Ethelred, who reigned in the
latter part of the ninth century. Al
first the number OF jurors was twelve
which mum Der was later on increased
to twenty three. With the other parts
Of the English judicial system the
grand jury was transplanted to Amer
lea with very little change. The mum.
Der of jurors in the different states
varies from twelve to twenty three, the
latter being the number required in
Minnesota.
The grand jury hears only one side
OF the case, the evidence offered by the
state. The object is to ascertain il
there is enough evidence of guilt to
justify the state in subjecting a person
to the trouble and ignominy Of being
publicly accused of crime. AS all
the proceedings before the jury are
secret, they can examine into any sup
posed breach of the laws without sub
jecting any person to unjust suspi-
cions in the eyes of his fellow-men un.
less there should be enough evidence
to warrant q trial. In cases where
some person is willing to swear out q
warrant against another person for
some infraction of the law the grand
jury is probably unnecessary. But it
furnishes a means for getting before
the court cases where there is no per-
son willing to sake the res possibility
of swearing out warrant. The
grand jury has power to summon any
person before it to testify in any
matter within the jurisdiction of the
jury. Anyone refusing to answer can
be reported to the court and punished
for his obstinacy. Ifany juror knows
of any illegal act committed it is his
duty to lay the matter before his fel
low jurors. If the grand jury is com
posed of honest, earnest and able men
it therefore becomes powerful agent
in ferreting out crimes in which the
Witnesses do not care to appear, either
from fear of retaliation from the per-
sons implicated or because, as in H.
quor cases, they have themselves done
something they would rather not have
published. The grand jury that has
just finished its labors in this county
furnishes an excellent example of this
use of the jury. Out of twenty-five in
dictments for illegal sale of liquor
seventeen were found from testimony
secured by the jury by calling up per-
sons known to have been in the places
of sale. These witnesses would rather
not have been known to have been
visitors in such places. They would
not willingly have entered complaint
against the lawbreakers.
BY the statutes of Minnesota the
grand jury has power to inquire into
all public offenses committed or tri-
able inside the county; to inquire into
the condition of any person impris-
oned in the county on a criminal
charge: to inquire into the wilful and
corrupt misconduct in Office of public
officers of every description in the
county. The county attorney shall
assist them in examining witnesses,
but cannot be present when they are
consulting or balloting.
If the grand jury decides by q ma
jority vote that criminal offense has
been committed they shall return their
findings to the court either as an in
dictment or presentment. If an in.
dictment is found the person charged
with the crime is brought before the
court, the Indictment is read to him,
and he then has to enter a plea OF
guilty or not guilty. If presentment
is made it is left to the discretion to
VIC SOO1o w oSo upOA ~ VI ASuOES ~
according to his opinion of the suf6-
cheney of the evidence. If he decides
to act upon it he issues q bench war.
rant for the arrest of the person i'm.
plicated.
The grand jury that sat In this coun.
ty last week deserves the hearty
thanks of the law-abiding people of the
county for the excellent work it did
It proved that there was q way Of
reaching certain set of lawbreakers
even If the authorities directly charged
with enforcing the law either through
carelessness or willful disregard O.
the law: failed to do their duty. Tht
work done will have . wholesome eff
feet not only for the present but fol
the future. That jury, composed
mostly Of farmers with 8 sprinkling o
business men from outside points, ha,
put an effective stop to the slanderou,
insinuation that the people outside 8
i