The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-06-16

Vice.President Alachua County Bar Association.
l. b. ELLIS, JR, Secretary Pro. Tenn.
CHARGE OF JUDGE WILLS TO THE SPECIAL
GRAND JURY OF ALACHUA COUNTY.
Gentlemen, you have now been selected, sworn and
impaneled as grand jurors for the present term of
this court. This is special term OF court, called by
myself your presiding Judge because of represen'
tation of certain matters made to me. In my Opin-
ion, the public welfare and the cause of justice in
Aachua County required of me that special term
of this court be held and by virtue of the authority
vested in under the law, whenever in my opinion,
an extra, or a special term of the court neces-
sary, 1t became my duty to call such term; and in
pursuance OF that power have called this special
term of your court
During the last session of this court, which has
just ended, there were rumors upon your streets of
attempts to corrupty influence the grand jury then
in session by parties upon the outside. These
mors grew from day to day, until they were common
talk upon your Streets they reached the ears of the
officers Of this court, and brought to my atten
tion by parties who claimed that they in posi-
ton to give evidence if they could give that evidence
frankly and freely to grand jury-of attempts
that had been made to influence the grand jury in
their deliberations upon certain cause, or causes
then pending before that body, When these facts,
coming from the sources which they did, came to my
knowledge, then felt charged with the responsibility
of presiding this circuit that embraces over
seventy thousand people within its limits, and |,
OF enforcing the law and order throughout the cir
cult, that IN attempt was made, not only that re-
Elected upon Alachua County, but attempt, If sue
cessfully carried out and allowed to prevail in the
counties of this State would make the administration
of the law farce and travesty upon justice.
And it is for this purpose that have called this
special term of the court-not for the purpose of
having this grand jury to review the actions, to
act an Appellate Court over the last grand jury
but to investigate the facts to whether there
oft IN tlxy stH.sn %hn Iuut
jury.
1t is duty that you owe to the last grand jury
to fearessy and impartially investigate this mat
ter, as to whether any attempt was made to infu-
ence them, and whether any member of their body
was influenced or not.
Because of these rumors-if they be not true
that grand jury should be indicated from the charge
and the county of Alachua should be indicated from
the charge that any such dastardly attempt was
made and the courts of Justice should be indicated
in order that the people of this county and in this
State may have full confidence in the integrity,
power and ability of the courts to enforce the law
fearlessly and impartiay, and irrespective of any
attempted corrupting influence
And, on the other hand, if these rumors be true
If in fact, there any such attempts to manacle
the hands of justice, then you owe it to your county,
to your State and to your courts, and to the oath
that you have taken, irrespective Of party parties
that may be implicated in it, to observe the oath that
you have TAKEN and earlessly fairly and mpartially
investigate it, and invite all any evidence that may
be brought to your attention on such violation.
1t is most important matter, in my estimation.
If such practices have prevailed and not stopped
by prompt action OF the court then the courts arc
useless, and law and order a thing of the past.
You have here county in its material resources
and in the variety of these resources, it is unsur.
passed by any county in the State of Florida.
Your city is city which stands high in the esti-
nation of the people of this State, and Gainesville
is noted for the high moral, public sentiment that
A
your people for the building of good roads and the
general advancement of your county and the cause
of education; but you may accomplish all of these
ends and carry them to the highest degree of perec
ton, but without the enforcement of law and order
in your county, Alachua County, with all of her
natural resources, with all of her progressive spirit
in all that tends to advance the true and good will
be failure, because without the enforcement of the
law and order in county, life and property in
secure and unsafe, and no man is protected.
Therefore, feeling that the public welfare of this
county was involved in this charge called you as