Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-25
CRIMINAL CASES
ARE ALL FOR HIM
COUNTY OFFICER WILL DO
CITY WORK
Threatens to Enforce Every Law on
the Statute Books and viii
Have No More Dead
Ordinances

Within the next sixty days Capt. j.
d. Fredericks, district attorney OF Los
Angeles county, will have complete con-
troll of all criminal prosecution within
the county and city.
Capt. Fredericks is just entering
upon his second term and the honor
given his is said by his thousands of
friends and supporters to be well
placed.
What Capt. Fredericks will do with
his power Is a matter of conjecture.
He refuses to state now what Will oc-
cur on the day when within his hand
comes the complete control of both city
and county criminal cases.
The captain is, according to the
definitions of his friends. one of the
best objects of the primal man in the
country, The petty jealousies of office
do not touch him. the intrigue that has
ruined so many good men passes over
his head. Diplomacy is lacking in his
makeup. If he likes a man he tells
him so If the man asks him, and If he
doesn't like a man he generally tells
him so upon the first occasion where
such statement is necessary.
Promises to Do His Duty
His office did not seek the distinction
of ruling county and city. 1t was passed
up to him and he replied IF they pass
a bill to that effect will do my duty.
That sentence did not sound particu-
larly good to the railways. At that
time the prosecution by the deputies Of
the city attorneys office was luke
warm and the railways ran cars through
the Los Angeles streets with impunity ]
What will happen to them if they try
it later will be seen. Capt Fredericks
stated that if law exists in the city
of Los Angeles it would be enforced.
mo dead laws will exist if 1 have this
power" he stated.
IF the city council passes an or
dinance that ordinance will be enforced.
There has been too much of this pass
ing of ordinances and then holding
them as clubs over people, threatening
to enforce them unless certain things
were done. There will be no more of
that. An ordinance will be enforced if |
1t is passed. If there is any objection |
from the city fathers to my enforcing |
a law then let them look to it that they |
repeal that law, for if they pass it 1 |
shall see that that law is enforced"
Capt Fredericks' statement at that |
time caused some honest politicians to
consider. 1t sounded odd and strange |
and honest and funny that a prosecutor
should make any statements like that.
1t began to sound better and better
the more they thought about it. The |
idea of making the district attorney the
supreme power in law over city and |
county was a revelation to them.
Will Name Deputies
The city attorney was to have full
sway over the civil matters, but the
district attorney was to have the
criminal. A bill was prepared to that
effect and passed and signed by Gov
ernor Gillett, and within the next sixty
days Capt. Fredericks will be declared
the supreme legal power of the county
and city.
Capt. Fredericks will have the ap-
pointment of the deputies who will |
govern the city's criminal work He
will say what is right and wrong. He
has been allowed extra money for the |
and payment of thoroughly
men, and when case is to
be tried in the future it will be a case
of merit.
The district attorney secured re-
election several months ago without op-
position. He did not have to work for
the election, and therefore is under no
to anyone. He was con-
sidered the best man possible to start a
legal trust under and he will start that
trust about the middle of May, and
then fireworks are expected.
According to practice in some places
In the east where a district attorney
has been given control of criminal
in county and city it has
been found that about nine-tenths of
possible graft was removed since the
Incentive of graft, the holding of a club
over the heads of the grafters, was re-
moved.
Also a law in the city to the effect
that any official who does not enforce
a law can be impeached will act as a
great incentive in the cleaning up of
Los Angeles as a legal center.