New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1912-08-10

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scot, a BOVINE. Bloomfield NJ R-i5
rangement with the sheriff; and
new contract has been made by
the present Police Jury, whereby
the Parish pays the sheriff for
rs services $500 per annum,
precisely the sum paid when Mr..
Muller assumed Office, 1t, there
fore, follows that Mr.. Muller s
statements referred TO above are
not borne out by fact.
When it is taken into consid.
Grafton that between the dates
July u, 1911 and March 8, 1912,
not single criminal case was
tried in the district court OF he
ria Parish, and but three cases
disposed of 1.-TWO pleas of guilty
and one nolle prosequi being en-
tered), it is not surprising that
the prison board bill ran high. It
is well to be remembered, 100,
that during this interval the Dis.
trict Judge was sitting in this
Parish more than two months,
during all Of which time he was
prepared to try all misdcmeanors
and criminal cases triable by the
Court. -
one-half months were permitted
to go by without the trial OF a
solitary criminal case, indicates a
neglect of duty on the part of the
district attorney that is indeed
hard to comprehend.
When the Court convened in
March, and Grand Jury went
into an investigation of the cases
pending. we find that there were
II no true bills returned, the
great majority of which were on
charges Of misdemeanors and
petty felonies.
In the face Of this the district
attorney states that it has been
his policy to file information in
all eases, excepting felonies, in
order to dispense with long and
expensive sessions Of the Grand
Jury, thereby saying many hun
dreds Of dollars to the taxpayers.
I Mr.. Muller freely invites the
public 10 examine the records
and upon his record is seeking
your support. If his record Ia
good, why has he not himself pre-.
pared the same and submitted II
to you, instead of requiring that
every voter in the Parish should
come TO the Court House and find
out for himselfs ! dare say that
| am the only citizen Of this Par.
ish who has consulted the record
and rs I have attacked his record,
| here offer the result Of my in.
vestigation into the same:
Cases investigated by the
Grand jury ...5S'
True bills returned by the
Grand Jury ............2 ZOE
No true bills returned by the
Grand jury -. .32'
Informaiions filed ...........24s
Cases compromised ......... d
Cases dead docketed ........ Il
! Nolle prosequies entered -. TO-
Cases tried by jury (inclnding .
juries Of 81 .............. o.
Convictions by jury ......... 81
Mr.. Muller points with satisfac
zion to the fact that since his en-
cumbency crime has greatly de
creased; he also states by infer
ence that only felonies have beer
i permitted by him to go before
the Grand Jury, SO we find tn
irreconcilable fact that crime i
said to be on the decrease, ant
vet 5S7 felonies have been com
I, mitted in the Parish Of Iberia il
about three and a half years.
The truth is, however, that O
the 587 eases submitted to thu
Grand Jury fully IS per cent Q
them were on charges OF mis-
demeanors and petty felonies, am
not over % per cent were 81
charges Of felony, and, therefore
fully IS per cent of these case
should have never been allowed
to 90 to the Grand Jury and ere
ate all the expense entailed.
I further charged in my iette
that Mr.. Muller was receiving
from the Police Jury of the Par
ish OF st. Martin 5000 per annun
to act a. its legal adviser, ant
that he had failed to serve tn
Police Jury Of Iberia Parish Il
that capacity. :.
This issue he has not met at oil
sither 10 the Grand Jury repor
or in his announcement. But il
. fact that some three years g