Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-09-15
No Money to Pay Jurors, Yet
Charges Must be Heard
This Term.
NO PANELS 70 Be DRAWN
One Already Selected Is Notified Not
to Report-County Court Runs
on Credit Basis.

Will the courts of Rock Island
county be compelled to turn loose on
the community the men who are in
jail charged with various crimes be-
cause the county has not the money
to pay the expenses of providing a
trial for these men? Are the Jail
doors to be opened?
These are questions that arr con.
fronting the county authorities new
The county is broke as every one
knows. There is not money enough
even to pay the jurors their fee of 81
day. Jurors are serving now in the
county court, but they will not get any
money for their services. All they
will receive will be assurance that
at some uncertain date in the future
the county will give them 81 for each
day they served.
In the circuit court jury panel
was drawn to report the second week
of the September term, but as re-
| suit of a conference with the judge,
| Circuit Clerk George W. Gamble has
decided to send out notice to the men
/
will not be required. 1t is under
stood that no iuries will be drawn UNI
til after election, and it may be that
there will be no jury during the Sep
ltember term.
| Trial May Be Demanded.
One of the provisions of the law is
that a man charged with crime must
1,4 -,
within four months of the date of his
arrest. There is no alternative, he
must be given a trial. If not, habeas
corpus proceedings are certain to Sc
cure his release, as has been shown
in various past cases in this county.
Without jurors there can be no trials,
and if there are no trials, the circuit
judge will be compelled to turn loose
the men now held in Jail because of
state laws.
Should this condition exist long, the
community would no doubt become
: infested with every known kind OF
criminal and the police would be
powerless.
ii Must Have Grand Jury.
r The circuit court is in a predica-
5 ment also in regard to the September
: grand jury, because of the county S
| financial difficulties. There is no
{ money to pay the grand jurors, but
there is, no way of dispensing with
4 the meeting. Accordingly it is under
: stood the jury will be summoned and
5 empanelled, and the jurors will be
frankly informed that they will have
r to waltz for their pay. The session
5 will probably not be as long one as
l some in the past
FL More Anticipated Orders:
There is report now that the board
of supervisors will authorize the issue
e of orders against anticipated tax re-
t ceipts. 1t is said that this action was
9 not taken at the last meeting because
1 of the desire to make the situation
as bad as possible as a means of in
fluencing a favorable vote on the ques
< ton of so cent tax for county pur.
/ poses, but that at the December meet
z ing the orders will be authorized. The
/ tax levy was provided for at the meet
ing last week. and the orders might
have been authorized then and the way
paved for transacting the necessary
business of the courts. AS it is there
probably will be no jury trial in the
e circuit court till after the board au
e thorizes these orders or until the taxes
e | are paid in in the spring.