Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-20
GRAND JURY IS SWORN IN TO
INVESTIGATE CITY OFFICERS
Only Matters to Be Probed Are Whether Officials
of Los Angeles During Incumbency in Office
Have Been Guilty of Any Offense
Against the Law

biased; that Jurors should enter a
jury room in a state of mind so
prejudiced or biased that they
would either be led to find an in
dictment or accusation against. a
person upon insufficient evidence,
or fail to find such an indictment
or accusation upon sufficient evil
dence, is intolerable in the con-
temptation of our law, which is de-
signed not only to give every iac-
cused person a fair and impartial
hearing, but also to bring before
the court every person against
whom there has been shown suf-
ficient legal cause to justify his
being placed upon trial.
You should remember in this
connection that. under your oaths,
you have duty to perform toward
the state of presenting indictments
or accusations in every case where
the evidence, impartially consid
cred, warrants such a finding. This
is a duty which you are not to con-
slider lightly. In your deliberations
you are to lay aside altogether
statements contained in the press
or founded on public rumor or the
state of public opinion, that may,
perchance. be brought to your at
tention. You are authorized to act
upon legal evidence only furnished
you in the manner provided by law.
Must Avoid Takers
Should you be approached by any
person desiring to talk with you
upon any subject connected with
the matters under investigation by
the jury, you will warn such per-
- al kr.
enter into any conversation with
him upon such subject, and you are
not to listen to discussions upon
any of such subjects, or to con-
yersations relating thereto, where
1t is in your power to avoid so do
ing. And if any person persists in
conversing with you about, or upon
such matters, you will please re-
port the occurrence to the court,
with the name of any such person,
where obtainable.
I will later quote for your guild
ance sections of the penal code
bearing upon your duties. 1t is
proper to caution you against CIV
ing out information relating to
anything that may have occurred
within the jury room. The law is
plain and specific upon this subject,
and you cannot divulge any such
information without violating your
oaths as jurors.
A grand jury can only return in
dictments where a felony appears
to have been committed, and you
have no jurisdiction to inquire into
the commission of misdemeanors.
You have, however, the right, and
1t is your duty, where the evidence
justifies such action, to present an
accusation against any public Off
Ger for wilful or corrupt miscon-
duct in office, Notwithstanding that
the offense when measured by the
standard of grade established by
law may amount only to a misde-
meanor.
Unless otherwise directed by the
court you art required to limit your
investigation to the matter pointed
out to you in these instructions; in
that matter, as I have before indi-
Gated, your investigation should be
thorough and complete. In this in
vestigation you will be assisted by
an efficient district attorney, who
will, no doubt, be ready to serve
you faithfully in his capacity as the
public prosecutor of the county.
Tho district attorney will conduct
the examination of witnesses before
you, and give advice when required
by the grand jury, but any juror
may ask any pertinent question OF a
witness under examination, and the
jury shall determine whether or not
any question asked of q witness Is
proper to be answered, where objec-
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