Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-04
CHIEF JUSTICE
GUMMERE OPENS
NEW COURT TERM
Charges Grand jury and Scores
Presentment Practise on
Irrelevant Matters.
JUDGE DUNCAN TAKES
PLACE UPON BENCH
With Ease OF Veteran Justice,
. Assigns Cases After
y Jury Retires.

Chief Justice w IN s. Gummere,
flanked by Circuit - Judges Fred
'eric Adams and Nelson Y. DUNCAN and
Presiding Judge Thomas A. Davis, OF
the Common Pleas Court, opened the
April term of the Criminal and Su-
preme and Circuit courts this morning.
The first act of the court was to swear
in the first April grand jury, Of which
Wallace NJ. Scudder is the foreman.
Judge DUNCAN took his place on the
the congratulations OF many of the
lawyers who crowded the courtroom.
There was nothing formal about Judge
Dungan's first appearance. No flowers
graced the bench or bar. He just
donned his flowing black robe and got
down to business, assigning cases as
soon as the grand jury had been sworn
and had retired to heir room.
Domenic A. Valentino of East Or
ange, who had been drawn as menu
Der of the grand jury, was late in
reaching the Court House and the jury
was sworn in without him, giving Mat
thew ]. Callahan, the twenty fourth
man on the panel, an opportunity OF
serving on the jury.
Chief Justice Gummere in opening
his charge to the grand jury called
attention to the fact that the preced-
ing jury had cleaned ap affairs in such
shape that little remained for the in
coming body ito consider.
Denounccs Presentments.
He denounced in strong terms the
practise that grand juries preceding
the last one had of sending in long
presentments Gn matters in which they
were not concerned Justice Gummere
called the presentments "as valueles5
as so much old paper"
He -also.called attention to the killing
of Antonio Gomez by Detective Ser
geant Jack Harris of Chief Corbitt's
office, several weeks ago. Gomez was
shot by Harris, who was endeavoring
to recapture him after he had escaped
from Patrolmen Sickles and Campbell
at the doorway of the county jail.
The part of Chief Justice Gummere's
charge touching on presentments and
the Gomez killing follow;
The Courts Charge.
Gentlemen of the Grand INQUEST:
Your predecessors in office have
disposed of so much of the important
criminal business of the county before
retiring from service that they have
left practically nothing to be consiS
cred by you which requires specific at
tention at this time. But no doubt IL
a great county like this during you
session there will be violations of the
law sufficient to keep you generally ell
gagged.
But, although there is, with the ex-
ception of one matter, which l shal
refer to presently. nothing which re.
ouires specific instructions to YOU. il
word as to the duties of your Office.
"One other matter | think 1 may
properly refer to. II has been the prac-
tise of grand juries of this county ever
since / have presided at this circuit
and long before. for know it was the
practise while l was a member of the
bar of this county, to present to the
court at the termination of its session
document which is called present
ment not covering violations of the
criminal law. not containing charges
which are deserving of prosecution, but
containing the views of the members
of the grand jury about all kinds OF
matters OF public interest entirely out
side of the 6 'irI,nal-advice to county
(Centinu "a "A Second PaEe.)-