The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-05-18
THE MAROUN CASE.
A Series of Remarkable Postpone
ments Compiled from the Records
of the City Court.

It may be of interest to the public
to know that in Shreveport there is
q citizen who has enjoyed more
postpOnements of his case than ha:
ever been recorded before in any
case since the foundation of the
city by the Shreve Townsite Com
lpany. The citizen who is credited
with this remarkable experience i:
Joe Maroun, who On February Is
1913, was arrested and charged with
selling Intoxicating liquor on Feb
ruary ii, 1913.
/ The case was called for trial il
the City Court on February 16 anC
continued until February "a, 1913.
On that date the case when called
was continued to March 3.
On this date it was called and con-
tinued to March ii.
1t was again called on March II
and continued to March 10.
Then from March 10 there was
another continuance to March II
on which day and date Joe Maroun
was tried in the City Court and con-
yicted, and on which day and date
he was fined SiG0 for the city and
costs, and fined $500 and six months
for the State, and in default of pay
ment six months additional.
The case was appealed to the Dis
trict Court, when there followed an
unavoidable delay of four weeks
through the absence of Attorney
Scarborough representing the city.
When the case was called in the
District Court Judge John R. Land
ruled that the appeal should be to
the Supreme Court of the State. A
few days thereafter there was filed
in the City Court a motion for a new
trial Oh the plea of a defect in the
warrant upon which Maroun had
been arrested. To avoid legal COM
plications the district attorney mol
pressed this, case against Maroun,
who was Immediately rearrested ON
warrant for the same effense.
On May 4 this case against Ma
roun was called and continued to
May 13, ON which date Maroun was
called to stand trial for the same
Offense for which he was convicted
on March II and fined 800 for the
city and $500 for the State with six
months Imprisonment and six
additional in default of pay
ment. of the fine. The trial being
ended the court reserved its Opin-
ion and continued the case to May
II, the day On which it was expected
the court would render its decision,
but instead there was announced
another continuance to Thursday,
May 22.
The case, with its multiplicity Of
pOstponements, is of more than Or
binary Importance for the reason
that Joe Maroun is one of, if not the
leader in the selling by wholesale of
Hiawatha and other beverages that
are said to be non-intoxicants, and
for the other reason that he wields
a great influence with his country
men and friends, and for the further
reason that he has accumulated
much wealth and property in the
selling of beverages since the law
of prohibition has been in effect.
Probably if Maroun were of the
ordinary class, or if the alleged vio-
latOr of the law were less prominent
and less wealthy, or had no wealth
or influence and had to rely on his
wits, his case would not have at
Lracted so great a publicity as has
been given him, and probably, as
others, it would long since have
been adjudicated in keeping with
law and justice.
The Caucasian would impress its
friends and its readers that it is not
4 censor of courts, nor would it ar
rogate to itself the dispensation of
law and justice, but it is free to say,
in all candor, that repeated post
ponements and continuances in
cases that are plain and need no
of weights of law
and justice in their adjudication,
IAN only excite such comments as
nay be expressed by the citizens
who stand for law and justice.
If the State has failed to show by
visible proofs that Maroun has vio-
ated the law, if it appears that he
S much injured citizen and not
guilty, on second trial of the
'harge for which he was once tried
and convicted, he should be dis
charged; if not, he should be held
Is others who have heen fried and