News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-09-01
A Protest From States Atty
Maurice Regarding That
"Remittine" SUGGESTION

Our suggestion last week that the &c fiji
Gals might return their fees in the noted
automobile suit case has brought to us a
couple of letters from States Attorney
Maurice, which we publish herewith:
MoRRIsvILLE. VT
Aug. rs, 1915. I
! L III. Lewis
DEAR SIR:-l note you say editoria'y,
after the Letters re The auto matter sug-
gestion that the Officials" pay back he
fees they get. Who do you mean by the
! ".Oficials," that get fees? You nust
mean more than one or you would not
use the plural. II you mean by this hat
get fees in these cases, or any Other, l
shall be allowed to correct your editorial
suggestion, as you know if you stopped
to think about it that since Tracy first
began his term, no States AttoI ney
in the state has ever received a cent
in fees. 1t looked to me as if you
are trying to carry out the idea of
some of the abused violators OF the
law. that l am getting some graft out
of this, and If that is what you mean
| shall be obliged to publicly put you
right as well as myself. You knew that
no officer had been used, and all those
who could get fees are myself and the
court, so there is only one construction
to put on your suggestion, and that is
that | pay my fees back. 1t is most I'M
fair in what it insinuates.
Iwonder if the court would think kindly
of paying back his fees when he gets them
and doing the work for nothing, or
would some of the good people feel like
reimbursing him?
Sipcere1u uorrc
M. P. MAURICE.
MoRRIsvILLE, Vt.,(
Aug. %, 1915.
Editor News and Citizen =
DEAR SIR:-In an editorial suggestion
in last weeks paper, the NEWS AND CITI-
ZEN remarked in connection with the var
ious auto cases recently pending that the
Officials" having to do with these cases
refund their costs to the parties charged |
with the otfense. AS there are only two |
officials who have been connected up to |
this time with these cases, namely my |
self and the court, the suggestion implies |
that | am receiving money from these |
fees. This is absolutely untrue, as no |
States Attorney has been allowed fees |
since Feb 1, 1907, as everyone knows
1t is perhaps only fair that the public |
know just what constitutes the cost in |
these cases and where they go.
The cost in each case are So Ga, if more
than one case is disposed of in one day,
there is taxed for the States Attorney |
81. so in each case, and O5 for one mile
ii more than one case. and 10 cents
mile if only one case. This is paid to the
County Clerk for the state, and the state
Tha Ircr ,bN, ha
cases are brought receives So 90 in each
case for the following items:-plea of
guilty 81 so, warrant "a cents and re-
cording judgement 25 cents. This is
paid in the first instance to the County
Clerk, and when the bills of costs are
finally allowed by the Auditor after each
term of court, this amount in each case is
paid back to the justice. Ifan officer had
served the warrants in the cases he would
have also been entitled to fees which are
of in the same way as those of
the Justice.
But there is one thing that should be
and that is that the States
Attorney in criminal cases never receives
a cent OF fees, and have not, nor will /
ever be entitled to a penny from all these
cases, no matter in what courts they
may be taken. before final disposition is
made. | receive salary and my neces-
sary expenses, and receive the same
salary if prosecuted few cases, as if many.
Yours respectfully,
M. p. MAURICE.
We made no reference to the Staues
Attorney ia the item referred to, as we
and everybody else knows that the days
IF fees for the States Attorney has gone
by. We had "the court" in mind and
llso were under the impression that the
spoilers" received something for their
lrduous days work, if not from the state
perhaps from the village. 1t seems. how
yer, that Justice Lafountain is the only
nan who gets anything out of the fines |
lside from what goes to the State. To !
De sure he gets good bunch out of the
lffair, but as he has considerable work |
n the cases we presume he is entitled to
what he gets out fit. All the same, it
vas hard on some of the offenders" at
east to have this thing sprung on them
without notice that the law was going
to be enforced.