The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1915-05-14

ing program on Friday. State Super
intendent Purdum visited US on Wed.
Letter from Mr.. Roberts
To The EDITOR.
In announcing my candidacy for re-
| nomination for the office of States
Attorney for Prince Georges County.
l think it only fair and proper to the
people that they should know some
thing of my record in office, and in
view of the fact that this record is a
public one I think can with propriety
make mention of it. The record can be
found among the court records in the
Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court t
for Prince Georges County.
assumed the duties of the Office of
States Attorney for Prince Georges
County on the second of January, 1912
and since that time l have represented
the State in the capacity of States
Attorney at seven regular jury terms
of the Circuit Court for Prince Georges
County and one special term of that
court; and the dockets of the respective
terms of court will show the following
facts: at the April Term. 1912, seventy
seven persons were under Indictment;
at the April Term. 1913, fifty-three
persons were under Indictment;
at the October term, 1918, forty-nine
persons were under indictment; at the
April Term. 1914, fifty-seven persons
were under indictment: at Special
Term of the Court in August. 1914
eighteen persons were under indict.
ment: at the October Term, 1914,
twenty-six persons were under indict-
ment; and at the April Term, 1915,
thirty two persons were under indict-
ment; making a total of three hundred
and sixty-seven persons under indict-
ment. In few instances all of the
parties were not tried at the term Of
courtsat which they were indicted and
the cases were carried to the following
term, but the records will show that l
have prepared indictments indicting at
least three hundred and fifty persons,
and the records will further show that
not more than three of those persons
escaped trial by reason of any legal de-
feet in the indictments as prepared by
me. These indictments, if my memory
serves me correctly, include practically
every crime known to the law with the
single exception think of Conspiracy,
and many of the indictments are for
offences made criminal by special
statutes.
1t is a we'll known fact that the basis
of all criminal prosecutions in the
courts is the Indictment, and if the
indictment is not properly prepared by
the States Attorney. whose duty it is
to prepare the same, the defendant
invariably takes advantage of the de-
fects, and it often happens that party
who although guilty, escapes trial for
the offense for which he is charged If
there is any legal defect in the indict-
ment, and of course, if the indict-
ment is not properly drawn in accord
ance with the law, the States Attorney
is the party who should justly be held
responsible; and although since have
been in Office / have prepared indict-
ments indicting at least three hum
dred and fifty persons as l have stated
before do not believe more than three
of those persons escaped trial by reason
of any defect in the indictments and in
one of those cases the court practically
held that there was no law covering
the offence with which. the party was
charged.
l think the various Justices of the
County will corroborate me when l
state that l have visited their respec-
tive districts whenever requested for
the purpose of representing the State
in the trials of cases pending before
the respective Justices of the Peace.
| and this applies also to many inquests
| held by the different Justices of the
Peace while acting as coroners.
mention the above facts for the
reason as stated in my announcement
that it has been the universal custom
to renominate the States Attorney for
second term, and in my opinion that
custom was due to the fact that the
people generally recognized the fact
that the duties and responsibilities of
the Office of States Attorney were so
numerous and important that they
could be better looked after by man
who had had some experience in the
character of work, and this is especial
ly true in the preparation of the in
dictments and presentments for the
grand jury.
| In concluding desire to ask the pub
lie to examine my record in office and
| if that record meets with the approval
of the public that be given the op-
portunity to serve second term in or
der that the public may receive the
benefit of the experience and knowledge
have gained since have occupied the
office of States Attorney for Prime e
Georges County.
Very truly yours,
CLARENCE M. ROBERTS
Don't Be A ''Grouch."