New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1905-12-02
GRAND JURY REPORT.

GRAND JURY REPORT.
| To the Honorable James Simon, Judge 10Th Ju
dicial District Court, sitting in and for tn,
Parish of Iberia, State of Louisiana:
The Grand Jury for the Parish of Iberis
beg to stbmit the following partial report
and respectfully ask permission to ad
journ subject to call of the foreman
Your charges to the Grand Jury have been
digested aud we have endeavored to faith
fully carry out your monitions. We have
been in session IL days, and have ex.
amined 204 charges, and have found l6G
true bills and 38 no true bills. A large
proportion of the cases submitted to us
were trivial and should not have been al
lowed to take up the time of the Grand
Jury or District Court; we suggest to the
Justices of the Peace and the Judge of
the City Court, the holding of preliminary
examination where possible and filing of
the more important testimony of the wit
nesses in order to facilitate the work of
the District Attorney and Grand Jury.
But few serious cases occupied our atten-
ton, we congratulate the Court upon that.
Much of our time has been taken up in
examining cases of violation of Sunday
law, slot machines, &C., and these viola
tions account for many of our true bills.
Looking over the report of the Grand
Jury, June 1902, G. c. Laughlin. Fore
man, we note the following and consider
it so applicable to conditions here and
now, that we reproduce section:
ave find the law commonly termed
the Sunday Law, almost universally
violated throughout the Parish among
liquor dealers, and in some instances by
others. The Grand Jury is determined
to enforce this law as well as others, and
it urges upon each peace officer in the
Parish the necessity OF his reporting vio-
lations. The District Attorney should
file information against these offenders,
and the Sheriff should arrest any person
attempting to violate this law as we'll any
enforce the law, the Grand Jury will
cheerfully assist them whenever informa-
ton is brought to its notice. The I'M
popularity of law among those who see
fit to criticise the statutes in certain in
stances is no excuse or reason why an
officer should neglect his sworn duty. If
any particular law il treated with i'm
punity 1t will have tendency to bring
other statutes into disrepute.'
1.-THE Grand Jury strongly recommends that
pressed with the great truth that they are the
ecutors Of the law and not its criticsers that they
are the sworn servants of the people and are paid
perform their ause, properly to protect the
the mandates of the law and uphold its majesty
always
in your view, the Judge and District Attorney
from the ordering filed or Aling of information in
the marter Of the Sunday. Law
Your charge clearly outlines the duties OF po-
lice, deputy sheriffs and other peace officers in
the matter Of arresting and filing Information
against offenders Of the Sunday Law, rs we'll as
other State Laws; but their negligence has been
lous to Grand Jurors and citizens. and the fact
that officials generally have connived at these
violations OF the Sunday Law, makes 1t much
more difficult for Grand Jurors to do their whole
% obtain evidence. Some cases of intimidating
witnesses have been brought to our attention,
and from the same locality boycott was threat.
iuty as an American CITIZEN and murmurs are
oud in many quarters against those members of
he Grand Jury who have seen 1T to conform very
trictly to your charge. their oath and the law.
hat the public may be more fully informed in |
matters pertaining to the Sunday Law, and that |
brand Jurors in future may not have to suffer for
hat witnesses be not in future inundated, we
wish to place before the public In this report the
ituation as we see it. Whilst citizens may rea |
onably question the wisdom OF eAaeting law
Jew as TO the necessity Of enforcing a law once
nacted. To the strict enforcement OF the law,
hose who favor and those who disfavor. can &C.
uiesce, as had law can be readily gotten rid Of
n this way, and the practical working Of a good
aw will speedily demonstr8te its usefulness the
avs should be enforced
Violators Of the Sunday law may be divided
INTO two classes; those who violate the law be.
eek the profit of the Sunday business these are
ew in number and are generally saloon keepers
n towns, The other class OF violatofs is larger
hat competition forces them to open in self de-
ense Years ago when Sunday law violators were
flowed trial by jury, 1t was difficult to seeure
from sSs s"
T Judge Of the City Court and an Indictment or
almost amounts to fine; convic-
ions are certain. As matters have stood for the
asst few years, conditions have forced upon
rand Jurors one of two unhealthy Alternatives.
lther they must disregard the charges of the
curt and violate their 0aths, or they must i'm
s
agonisms, misunderstanding and bitter feelings
nd they must do this to little purpose, for few
undsyS after they adjourn, the side doors again
pen up and by the c0nnivance of officials and
Ulcers sworn to maintain the laws of the State,
mis- costly work of the Grand Jury IL undone
7e believe It 10 time TO call halt, and confident
nat our citizens are law abiding We propose to
oint out to them the officials whose duty 1t is to
nforce the Sunday lawi then upon these officials
lust rest the responsibility for the future viola
ons, and all the Inconvenience, annOyances and
,ss to Grand Juries and witnesses which their
riminal negligence entails In your answer to
ar inquiries 90 to the duties of these officials
on pointed out that 1t IA the duty of the police
Ulcers and deputy sherids to arrest vioiators OF
,s sunday LAW OF fle information against them,
at we agree with the Grand Jury report Of June
800. signed ny Mr.. Laughlin, the present Mayor,
placing responsibility also npon the District
lould file information In these matters; and we
, further than tAs, and believe 1t is the duty of
,e Mayors and Of the Councils of the towns. as
ell as of the Sheriff of the Parish, to instruct
,eir police officers and deputies, that they must
rest violators of the Sunday law or must file
FORMATIONS against them, and that IL they do
OF, they will discharge any negligent officers
no copuive at the violations of The law. con-
sniently forget to report these violations.
We say this because we realize that without the
,sistauce of these gentlemen, 1t is hopeless to
Epect the police officers and deputies to file these
form atoms or make these arrests, unless they
stinctly understand that not only will they not
,ly be rebuked for 90 doing, bat that their supe
ors insist upon their carrying out the law stlict
: The responsibility then, we again repeat,
,sts mainly upon the Mayors and Councils at
tn the towns Of New iberia and Jeauerette