The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-01-03
the liquor laws are quite generally
observed, no saloons in Iowa are
operated on Sunday and the open
gambling house Is gone.
CRIMINAL LAW REFORMS.

The recommendations made by the
special committee of the American in
stitute of criminal law and criminolo-
gy, appointed to investigate English
criminal procedure, are not very rad
ical, it appears. The investigators,
John D. Lawson, dean of the law school
of the University of Missouri, and
Edwin r. Keedy, professor Of law in
Northwestern university. spent four
months in England during the last
year. attending the sessions of the
criminal court of London, from the
lowest to the highest, and witnessing
also the assizes in one of the largest
of the provincial cities. The report
is in great part most interesting
and clear description of the working
OF the English system, which shows
in what respects our criminal pro-
cedure differs today from that of
Great Britain, the country from which
we derived our jurisprudence. I'VE
do not suggest comparisons, say the
Investigators. "but simply state the
case" The English system, however,
seems satisfactory to the English
lawyers and English laymen and -
1t results in certainty and speed in
the administration of the criminal
CODE
Yet, in conclusion, the report pre-
sents to the American bar and people
the following recommendations con-
corning possible improvements in
American procedure:
/. All objections to the Indictment
should be made before evidence is
heard. and errors in matters OF form
amended at once.
. The presenting attorney and
counsel for the defense should before
trial consider and discuss the quail
fications of the individual members
of the jury panel and agree to the
dismissal OF any one clearly incom-
petent to be a Juror.
3. The voir dire should be limited
to the asking of questions strongly
tending 10 show incompetency or bias
in the present trial.
T. All prisoners on trial upon in
dictment. who are unable to employ
counsel. should be furnished with le-
gal assistance throughout the trial. In
Guiding the arraignment.
5. The prosecuting attorney. in
stead OF being partisan. should in
vestigate the case from nonpartisan
standpoint, and should make an inn
partial prosecution of the evidence to
the jury.
6. The fee system wherever it ex-
lists, for the compensation of prosecu-
ting attorneys. should be abolished.
T. Counsel for the prisoner should
defend him by endeavoring to disprove
his guilt, and never by injecting error
in the record.
s. The trial Judge should not be a
mere presiding officer but should take
an active and controlling part in the
trial He should restrict counsel to
the asking of relevant questions. He
should promptly overrule and discour-
age technical objections. He should
never permit counsel to intimidate or
improperly to confuse witness. He
should sum up the evidence to the
jury and direct them as to the law
applicable thereto.
g. New trials should never be
granted for technical errors, but only
to prevent miscarriage of justice.
TO- Prosecutions for mionr offenses
where the accused is MOI likely to
evade THE hearing, should be begun
by summons, as. in civil cases.