Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1907-08-01
DES MONIES LETTER |
Items of Interest From Our Correspondent
at the State Capital.
, ca 6
Nc More pardons by Legislature.

Ne More Pardons by Legislature.
Des Moines.--There are $50 crimes
or which the Iowa penal code pro-
sides penalties.
Death is the maximum penalty for
me of these murder In the first de-
gree.
Under the indeterminate sentence
aw the district judges are supposed
10 longer to fix definite term of i'm.
)risonmant for persons convicted OF
.hese 1870 felonies except IN eases of
murder In the first degree, And UNI
Ter the new parole law operating
with the indeterminate sentence law.
every convict sent to Fort Madison
and Anamosa after July 4. 1907. may
Se required to serve the maximum
penalty for the felony OF which he
has been convicted. within the discre.
ton of the board Of parole.
There is some question as to the
powers Of the new board. II a con-
Wet were given life sentence by a
district Judge, There Is possibility
that the new law repeats the law
cation for pardon by first degree muir
1erers to the Legislature by the gov
9rnor. IL Is unlikely that In any
event, the governor has full power
to pardon first degree murderers
whatever the recommendation or adj.
vice OF the legislature, and II Is con
ceded that the governor has the
power to refuse to follow the advice
Of the legislature even after II Is
taken.
This is purely legal proposition,
however, for the governor always has
ind doubtless always will follow the
advice OF the assembly In such cases,
unless Ii turns out that hereafter,
under the Saunders indeterminate
sentence law, II will not be necessary
to submit applications for pardon to
he legislature at all. The opinion of
the attorney general on the subject
will be taken.
board Of parole has care fully examin'
I'd the penal code and has prepared
! 4 tabulated list OF felonles penali2ed
herein, together with the maximum
| penalty provided In each case, This
| list will be part of the forthcoming
| booklet issued by the parole board
Of the 1870 felonies the maximum pen
atty for one is death for IL, life I'm
prisonment; for 2, 30 years; for T.
IS years; for Z, 20 years; for 3, Ia
! years; for 30, 10 years; for 46,
years. for |, years; for 3, 3 years;
! Tor 4, years, and for the other 30
| 'ess than years
Assault with intent to commit muir.
Ter and burning an inhabited dwell
ng In the day time are the two
'elonies taking thirty years Nc
minimum Is provided Dynamiting
anticing female child for prostitu
ton, being habitual criminal and
incest take twenty-five year maxi
mum sentences except that this Is
the minimum for being an habituaI
criminal
Assume that an accused person Is
convicted OF train robbery. The dis
trict Judge, under the lndeterminate
sentence law, sentences him, not for
certain term OF years. but simply
to the penltentiary, or reformatory,
II he be under thirty years of age.
| Under the rules adopted by the board
~ parole his case becomes subject
| 20. consideration after eleven months.
He may then be paroled, at the dis
erection OF the board, which has full
power. II may keep him In the peni'
Tertiary or reformatory for life II II
sees fit. But after he Is paroled with
In year he may be recommended to
the governor for pardon. This Is the
whole operation OF the new system.
The parole board has adopted rules to
govern convicts who are paroled,
which provide that he must make
monthly report and conduct himself
decently. And cigarettes are tebooed
| by the board.