The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1917-03-10

Bill" as to the others, but you must
specify as to numbers as to which are
"True Bills" and which are ignored.
After you have made your findings
and taken your vote, your foreman
will date the bill and sign as foreman.
The form on the Bill of Indictment
will indicate to you how this shall be
done. After a Bill of Indictment has
been acted upon by the Grand Jury 1t
should remain in the possession and
custody of the foreman until return
be made to the Court.
The District Attorney will desig-
nate by endorsement on each Bill of
Indictment whether the charge is
felony or a misdemeanor, and in all
prosecutions of miSdemeanorS, If the
bill of indictment shall be returned by
you mot a True Bill" it is your duty
to decide and certify on such bill
whether the county or the prosecutor
shall pay the costs of prosecution; and
if the prosecutor be adjudged by you
to pay the costs you must name him
in your return and unless otherwise
directed by you, he will be required
to pay the sum of Four Dollars ($4)
for the use of the county, in addition
to all other costs of prosecution.
The costs of prosecution accruing
on bills of Indictment charging a per-
son with felony, ignored by the Grand
Jury are by law payable by the coun-
ty, except, however, that in all prose
cutions for larceny where the value
of the goods and chattels alleged to
have been stolen, shall be less than
Ten Dollars ($10), if the Bill of In
dictment shall be returned "Not a
True Bill" the Grand Jury shall de-
eide and certify on such bill whether
the county or the prosecutor shall pay
the costs of prosecution; and the
Grand Jury shall be the judges of the
value of the goods so alleged to have
been stolen. Except, also, that in all
prosecutions for assault, or assault
and battery, where the prosecutor has
made complaint, under oath, that the
assault was made with the intent to
MAIN, disfgure or disable such prose
cutor or other person, OF to commit
the crime of murder, or where the bill
of indictment in cases of assault, or
assault and battery, charges the de-
fendant with a felony, if the bill of in
dictment be returned "NOt a True
Bill" and the Grand Jury believe
from the evidence that the prosecutor
had no reasonable grounds for making
the charge of felony, they shall decide
and certify on such bill whether the
county or the prosecutor shall pay the
costs of prosecution.
In all cases of misdemeanor and in
all excepted cases charged with fell
ony, as just explained, where you find
the prosecution to have been institut-
ed without probable cause, or for re-
venge or in a spirit of retaliation, the
costs ought to be put on the prosecu-
tor.
On a Bill of Indictment based upon
the return of a Constable, if the bill
is ignored, the county as a general
rule should pay the costs. You can't
fix the costs upon an individual prose-
cutor without he appears before you
as a witness.
You should not compel the county
to pay costs in unfounded prosecu-
tions, and to this end carefully inves-
tlgate the circumstances of each par
ticular case, where the indictment is
returned "Not a True Bill" with a
view of ascertaining whether the
prosecution was brought in good faith
or not, and what disposition should be
made of the costs as between the
prosecutor and the county. You can
not divide the costs between the
county and the prosecutor. When the
county is required to pay the costs it
pays all the costs of prosecution.
When the costs are paid by the prose-
cutOr you must name him in your re-
turn. Under no circumstances, where
the bill is ignored, can the defendant
be made to pay the costs or any part
of them.
Besides these general duties that
we have been discussing there are spe-
cial duties devolving upon you as
Grand Jurors. Thus it is the duty OF
the Grand Jury to inspect the county
buildings, the Court House, and sug-
gest any needed repairs; the County
Home for the INDECENT poor of our
county; the Willard Home for the de
pendent, neglected and incorrigible
children of our county; the County
Jail, now used mainly as a place OF
detention for criminals. On account
II the construction of our Jail we can
lot use it to any extent as place fC
ofenders of the law after sentence. /
there were some changes made with
view to classification of the prisoners
ye think in the long run it would b
n the interest of economy, but fro1
ne time that the proposed change
rould be completed it would be an az
vance step toward proper prison disc
Dline. AS conditions now are we
ompelled to send many prisoners t
he Allegheny County Work House
IN increased expense to our count
nat otherwise could be kept in OF
3Vn County Jail. You should not fo.
ct, and the people and taxpayers
ndiana County should know and n
orget that every prisoner that is SCI
1T of Indiana County to serve a Sc,
.ance is sent at tie COunty's expenr
on0t'ros we hea- criticism of II
Courts for not sentencing certa
criminals for longer periods. Som
lines that criticism is a just and pr
Der one, but Courts have a duty
perform in looking after the interes'
Of the taxpayer as well as the refc
nation of wrongdoers. The high CO