Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-15
Doubt as to Fate Of Doomed Man
Grows as Tribunal Fails to
Reach Ruling on Appeal and
Plans to Take Up New Issues.
Unless Decision Is Reached Be-
fore October | Death Verdict
viii Stand-Serious Deadlock
Exists After Long DeIiberation.

Contrary to general expectation, the
Supreme Court of Georgia handed
down no decision in the famous Frank
case last week, Notwithstanding the
entire week, and no other decisions of
any character were rendered.
The court will meet Monday to hear
arguments in new cases, among
which are several murder appeals.
and, while this will not halt the court
in its consideration of the Frank case
it necessarily will take away part of
the courts time from the same
Lawyers generally do not recall
when the Supreme Court before has
gone into banc and remained a solid
week without handing out a batch of
decisions
Difficulty on Agreement.
The inference they draw from the
present radical departure from this
rule is that the court likely has ex-
perienced some difficulty in getting
together on decision in the pending
case, and that it probably is giving
the case right Of way over everything
else.
There have come no hints on sug
gestions from the court itself or any
Of its officers as to when the Frank
case decision is to be handed down.
As matter of fact, so far as the
court or any official thereof will say.
there have been no hints or sugges-
tons of whether the case even is be-
ing considered by the court. Such
opinions as lawyers give in the mat
ter are founded upon external circum-
stances entirely.
The Supreme Court has one year
from the time of its filing in which
to return a ruling in an appeal case.
If it fails to hand down a decision
within that year, the court below
stands affirmed, by operation of law.
Therefore, the Frank decision must
come down before October l, or
Frank will stand hopelessly con-
demned, without further argument.
Public Interest Intense.
Of course, 1t is confidently antici-
pated that he Frank ruling will come
down far in advance Of October, but
it is impossible to say how much
earlier.
Public interest in the forthcoming
decision is intense. Not only Is in
curry in Atlanta frequent, but
throughout the State the weekly
newspapers are discussing the mat
ter, in guarded, didgnified and diplo-
matte language, but with evident
anxiety and interest, nevertheless.
AS a rule, the impression seems to
be that the decision likely will come
within a few days. Whether it will
he unanimous is doubtful, so law
yers generally are inclined to think.
The records in the case are very
extended, and the ruling probably will
he, hence it may be that the court 5
seeming difficulty in getting this
opinion through actually is more be-
cause of the physical aspect of the
same, rather than the legal.
1t is rumored that Mr.. Justice Bev-
erly Evans has the preparation of the
opinion primarily in hand, and that
he will deliver the final utterance, If
his opinion shall be adopted as the
majority opinion. But even this ru-
NOR bears no authority of the court.
Lawyers and observers who keep
trace of proceedings in the Supreme
Court are almost unitedly of the
opinion now that the court likely is
seriously, but not necessarily hope
lessly, divided as to conclusive
ruling.