The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1921-07-29
JUDGE Ihreaiens County
Attorney With Contempt

JUDGE Threatens County
Attorney With Contempt
{Cputmued from First Page9
uo,1r nosition clear IN this matter.
Then YOU don't care to do anything
until you are forced 70; e that
M ERICKSON: r the Court viii
sion these affidavits, the Court being
ma, = ada the complainant, will proceed;
/ or If somebody else VIII sign tllss -
fdavits I will go ahead. ].
THE COURT: Then You don't
care to sign these afiidavlts your
self as county attorney lou can
answer the question one way OF sne
other; will you Or will you not
Mr.. ERICKSON: I refuse TO ans
wer the question.
s THE COURT: You certainly
would not refuse to answer as %
whether or not you will 90 GER
tain thing, would you! | am ASK
Inc YOU # you will or will not sign
these afidavits that you have pre-
Mr. f ERICKSON: / will not today.
THE COURT: Do you mean that
YOU refuse to obey an order q
Court in connection with your Of
Mr. nis ERICKSON: Well, if the Court
n1ease. If / think it is valid order
Of the Court certainly will obey It.
THE COURT: Then you are go
ing to 20 on the presumption that
YOU are going to determine Wheth-
er the Court is right or wrong, and
if YOU figure it is valid order you
will obey it, and if it is not valid
order YOU will not obey it
MR.. ERICKSON: I think so. |
think that was brought up here in the
trial Monday.
THE COURT: In other words,
the office of the county attorney Is
going to control the district court
in this district?
+ Mr.. ERICKSON: don't think
that is tile idea. -, !,
THE COURT: We will have the
matter understood. The county
attorneys office is not controlling
the Judge of this District, and
/ would like to have you state
whether or not you will or will not
proceed in accordance with the
Courts order. in reference to these
two matters.
Mr.. ERICKSON: My position is
this: I will proceed if an affidavit OF
complaint is filed.
THE COURT: am asking you
whether or not you will proceed
yourself and sign these affidavlts
that you have prepared and pro-
coed in these matters according to
the order of the Court.
Mr.. ERICKSON: l will not today.
THE COURT: Without the
Court signing these afidavits?
MR.. ERICKSON: I will not today.
THE COURT: Will you at any
Mr.. ERICKSON: I will if / can
make up my mind that there has been
a contempt committed.
THE COURT: The Court orders
YOU at this time to proceed in
these matters; to sign these affi-
davits yourself as county attorney,
and bring these matters properly
before the Court, to the end that
it may be determined properly in
this court whether there has been
violation of the law by G. E.
TAYLOR, editor Of the Producers
News in Sheridan County. The
Court makes this statement to you
in open court and asks you to pro-
coed and perform your duty as
county attorney. That is all, Mr..
Erickson. In the event Of your
failure to obey this order, the
power Of the court will be admin
istered. We are going to see in
Sheridan county whether Or not |
court orders command any respect,
and whether or not court orders |
are going to be obeyed. I will |
give you until ten o'clock tomor-
row, Mr.. Erickson, to make up
your mind what you are going to
do. ANY further matters to come
before this Court?
MR.. ONSTAD: We haven't any,
Your Honor.
THE COURT: I wish to also
say, Mr.. Erickson, in case that you
come into this Court and refuse to
obey the orders of the Court as
county attorney, this Court won't
hesitate to treat you just the same
as it would anybody else that re-
fuses to obey orders of the Court,
and the Court doesn't appreciate at
all the proposition Of the county
attorney of the county, who is un-
der oath to obey and enforce the
law, coming into court and almost
defiantly telling the Court that he
won't obey court orders. Now, the
Court will recess until the hour of
three o'clock next Friday after
noon.
Which were all of the proceedings
rad in the above matter.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS