The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1909-03-05
ate conduct of the affairs OF government.

ate conduct of the affairs OF government.
The power entrusted by our law to tt e
prosecuting attorney to cause the arrest
OF any citizen without a word Of swnrn
evidence or any emblance of a hes ring,
and the resultant power to decline To
prosecute any offense at his mere pleas
ure, ls one OF the most onerous trusts
which could be imposed upon any ore.
ana It lS matter for most favorable
comment by the court that in the paat
~ years SO few complaints have been
made of mafeasance or nOnfpasanca I.y
the public prosecutors But the exis -
ence OF such power calls imperatively for
place where, at intervals, that portion
OF our community who are dissatiefi a
with the judgment or conduct of the
prosecutor can be heard, and where the
humblest inhahitant can present and re-
celVe sincere consideration for his coIa-
pialnt against the most influential cit
zen or officer bv the body Of the count =.
thus giving permanent and final assnr
ance that public justice is being admins
tered fearlessly and fairly alike to hi.b
and low, rich and poor, influential aad
obscure.
Again, the county and the state vita
IN the county conduct large and i'm
pOrtant business, where the officers con
ducting such business are Of ca ordinate
powers, OF which the grand jury are by
law placed in the position Of board Of
visitors. If no grand jury is convened
there is no visitation, and the off GERS
are without check or supervision.
A grand jury can further be Of inesti-
mable value in supervising the general
tone OF official action and in it's recon
mendations Of policy.
Again, Offenses against the law are
sometimes committed which, from their
very nature, and the interests and issues
and the nature of the evidence involved.
the power OF the prosecuting attorney is
inadequate to discover, and which can
only be uncovered and the offenders
brought to justice by means of the
machinery and the iDquisitOria powers
of a grand jury. The court does not
assert that any such offenses exist, but
if such crimes exist you will, in the proper
discharge of your duties, unearth them
The court deems it intolerable that it
should be possible that any form OF in
fraction OF law should exist without
co nplete opportunity for the discovery,
trial and punishment Of the offenders.
In his charge to a grand jury my
predecessor said:
Under our system, where the prosecu-
ton CT offenders is entirely in the hands
OF the prosecuting attorney, [ am not
sure but that the calling OF grand Jury
at stated intervals is for the general
good"
And that grand jury in its report to
the court said
" We think the grand Jury system
is entirely too expensive to be used gnn-
orally as the channel for the institution
OF criminal prosecutions, yet it
is our opinion that all need OF a grand
jury has not entirely passed out of our
system OF government yet. The fact that
an accusing power, reaching all officials
as we'll as private citizens, hes lodgment
in the hands of the people themselves
undoubtedly, if called into use occasion
ally, must have a wholesome restraining
and deterring influence in all quarters.
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