St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1916-08-26
THIBODEAUX ROASTS
JUDGE B. Il. PAVY
Game Commissioner Punctures
Judges Wonderful Record
GROSS VIOLATION OF LAW
is CHARGED TO PAVY
judicial Officials Hold Up Hunters
from Other Parish Is Charge Of
Charles Thibodeaux


The general public is disposed Il
forget or overlook matters of inn
portance after those matters have
ceased to be "a nine days wonder Z
Charles Thibodeaux, agent of the
conservation commission, brings to
the attention of the people, in the
following open letter addressed to
Judge Payy and the public, cou-
pie of cases tried in the district
court of parties arrested by him
for violation of the game laws.
The communication makes interest
ing reading and shows to what ex-
tent justice has gone in this section
of the state.
Mr.. Thibodeaux states the case so
succinctly and with such a direct
ness and forcefulness that there is
bound to be some element of truth
in ii. The matter Of accepting a.
plea of guilt, sentencing parties
under such plea, and then, after
i finding out that the entire trial has
been a farce, setting aside the judg-
ment and refixing the case for an
other day, is so fareical that even
the merest tyro can see beyond the
tain veneer Of partisanship and the
direct play TO the galleries lin this
case direct bid for votes and po-.
litical support.
But where indicted partiesin
dicted on the same charge were
from another parish, the full meas
lre of the law was meted out, and
even the district attorney, accord
ing to Mr.. Thibodeau1, received a
fee Of $3.50 from each of the guilty
men Of Lafayette, when, as a mat
ter Of fact, the district attorney
was not entitled any fee what
ever, he having contracted with the
police jury to receive salary in
stead Of fees n convictions before
the district court. To what end is
it all coming, and what will that
send be?
Mfr. Thibodeaux's article follows:
70 the Public and to Judge Payy:
'''rhe latter part of May, 1914. on
an affidavit signed by the late
Sheriff Swords, / arrested eleven
parties {nine from Eyangeline and
two from this parish on a charge
Of hunting without a license and
killing deer out of season.
These parties were indicted by
the grand jury on only one charge
hunting without a license-and
on arraignment in the district court
all pleaded guilty. The court inn
posed a fine of SIS on each, includ-
Elng Alibe Bertrand, who possessed
q Statewide license for which he
had paid $40.
After imposing sentence on. all
parties. the attention of Judge Payy
was called by me to the law cover
ing this case, which says that for
hunting without license and kill
ing deer out Of season the minimum
flne shall not be less than s25 and
not exceeding 500, or thirty days
~ Jail III default of payment of fine
and costs.
After the Judges attention had
been called to the law, he instructed
the clerk Of court not to enter. the
plea and fine on the minutes and
me district attorney Mr.. Lee Gar
land, refixed the case for the fol-
loWing week, at which time all
eleven indicted parties were
brought into court and on arraign-
lnnt pleaded not guilty.
they We're tried before the
nudge and the same witnesses for
sae state who testified before the
sfaad jury returning the indiet-
Ment also testified before The court