The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1914-02-21

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jury will be called by Judge w.
H. Jackson, to convene in April.
The immense amount of criminal
and civil work now before the
court madeit necessary to call an
other jury term for March, hence
the first available time for the
grand jury will be April.
For several years there has
been some little talk of calling a
grand jury in this county. the
grangers having advocated it
several times, and several petit
tions having been presented to
the court for one. But no action
was taken until last week Friday,
when Mr.. Slater appeared before
the court and asked that grand
jury be called. stating his reasons
therefor. and presenting the fol-
lowing petition in legal form:
In the superior court of the state of
Washington, in and for the county of
Stevens.
In the matter of the calling of grand
jury for service in Stevens county,
Washington.
Comes now John B. Slater, prosecut-
ing attorney in and for the county of
Stevens and state of Washington, and
represents to the court as follows:
That now and for long time prior
hereto, there has existed the necessity
for the calling of grand jury for the
purpose of investigating violations OF
the criminal laws in many particulars,
including violations of the local option
and the liquor laws commonly known as
Bookkeeping;
Violation of the gambling laws;
Violation of the pool room, and laws
governing resorts of amusement;
The laws governing the rights OF
property and the rights of individuals
in divers and sundry respects.
This has been made apparent to your
petitioner by the many complaints
pressing in upon the prosecuting at
torney's office to such an extent that it
is impossible for this Office to conduct
an investigation that would meet the
satisfaction of the public service.
1t is also apparent from the result of
criminal prosecutions recently instituted
in which acquittals have been obtained,
that your petitioner is being covertly
interfered with, by designing persons,
in the discharge of his official duties,
and that by reason of such interferences
the public service required of the office
is. rendered Ineffective.
That the law authorizes and counten-
ances the calling of grand juries when
the necessities of the public service re-
quire and the services of grand jury
would be now of inestimable benefit to
Stevens county as a corrective influence
over the people.
JOHN B. SLATER,
Prosecuting attorney.
In his statement before the
court, Mr.. Slater announced that
in the apparent prevalence oT dis
regard for law throughout the
county it was impossible to Sc
cure the necessary evidence un-
der present conditions and legal
restrictions governing prosecut-
ing attorneys; that he found diff
ficulty in securing witnesses who
would fully testify; that there
seemed to be an element of dis
favor toward pressing charges of
criminality. and that even the
court seemed to be not in SYM
pathy with the efforts of the
prosecuting attorney to enforce
proper regard for the law; that
the calling of a grand jury
seemed the only method which
would fully handle the situation;
aud that the prosecuting attor-
ney's office believed the situation
required attention from the law
abiding portion of the people.
The cost of a grand jury has
been the past objection alleged
to calling one. But it is claimed
that not only a better condition
can be secured and maintained,
but less cost will result to fu-
ture prosecutions, if the situation
is well taken in hand at once by
grand jury. 1t is within the
recollections of old-timers that
Mr.. Slater once before cleaned up
this county, at a period when
horse stealing was the usual rec
reation of the unterrified lawless.
and it is barely possible that