The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-06
Judge William B. Fort Will Charge the InquisitoriaI BOdy-About 200 Cases Are Waiting For Investi- gatiOn
ADDITIONAL JUDGE FOR THE CRIMINAL
 BENCH IS POSSIBLE
About Hundred Citizens Are Sum- moned for Jury Duty and the Courthouse Will Present
 Very Busy Scene
 Today

William F. Fort senior judge of the criminal court, will open the September l term this morning with his charge to
 the grand jury. This document is moi expected to be of a sensational ns ture and following the organization Of the Iinquisitorial body, it will adjourn until
 tomorrow, owing to the fact that today l is legal holiday.
 About 200 cases of various natura
 await the attention of the grand iury. It is anticipated that this body will dispose of this number of cases in a very short time and will then adjourn,
 pending the resumption of criminal &C., tivity in the county
 Although it will be a legal holida v. both divisions of the criminal court has cases set for trial today and it is ex-
 pected that following the organization or the juries that several of the cases Will be tried. Few of the cases set, however. are of public interest and are
 merely the usual grist of vagrancy, grand larceny and negro burglary cases.
 Fort Will Organize Juries Besides charging the grand jury this
 morning Judge Fort will also orga nize the Juries for the week. Over 100 citi- zens have been summoned for jury duty and the corridors of the courthouse will present lively appearance as de folks come to cote" Judge William E. Fort will preside over the first division of the criminal court and Judge Harring- ton F. Heflin over the second division. According to the bar docket issued by Clerk w. B. Copeland, the week fo. the trial of capital cases will begin September 27. Several cases of homicide will come up for trial then includin z
 the train wrecking case of Shan Henry at Weems. where a Seaboard railroad
 train was ditched. The train wrecking cases are expected to attract a great deal of public interest
 If a bill now before the legislature rermftting the clerk of the criminal court to file a notation to the governor on the needs of an additional judge in Jefferson county passes and is signed by Governor Henderson, it is the opin- ion of the solicitors office that Circuit Judge Aston will be requested to cor to the aid of Judges Fort and Hefin in clearing the criminal docket of con Jestion. Solicitor Black is positive that with three judges on the criminal bench 1t would be matter of very few months before the docket would be cleared suf- lclently to allow the present judges tC handle all cases with expediency, which he states is the idea of the law, as delay in trials works hardships on those who cannot make bond and makes for lack of law enforcement on those able to attain freedom through sureties. To Try Appeal Cases
 Other things of interest about the opening of the courts Is that for the first time since the advent of prohibit tion on July l. several of the appeals from the recorders court on violations of prohibition laws and also several of the violators Of the same law arrested by county authorities will come up for trial. The action of the state courts on these cases will be watched with in- terest.
 | Still other than the mere routine of the courts the fact that the judicial tribunals are open means that the ac- tivities of all manner of politicians will be doubled. The primaries for the elec- tion of county judges, members of tfe county board of revenue and other coun ty officers comes off next April. Al eady prospective candidates are cam paigning, and with the courts in ses- sion and the corridors filled with visi- tors from all sections of the county the soft persuasive appeal of chronic vote getters will be the song of songs for the next six months. until the primary.