The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-02-24
by Frank NJ. Dallam. Sr.

ecu0eQ Se0SAou VI COuIt. Aue SQudU-
Dles Of litigants in civil courts, or the
misery and misfortunes of those for
whom criminal courts are provided.
have never appealed to US. But the
other day, while in the county court
hQuse here, through curiosity we drift
ed into one OF the court rooms where a
case was in progress. The word pro
sress" is used with reservations, for
progress was the one thing that seemed
to be lacking, as the chief object OF
the attorneys handling the case seem
ed to be to stall, and consume time,
and to use all their ingenuity in gett-
ing nowhere. There are several courts
in session here constantly. and vet the
dockets are so cOngested it is i'm
possible for the judges to clean them
/ up, and to layman who reads of the
difficulty judges are experiencing in
handling the increased cases coming to
their courts, and who has seen the
dilitory tactics Of the lawyers, it would
| appear that the problem could be
largely solved If attorneys devoted
more time in trying to present the
facts of their cases to jury, and less
time to asking irrelevant questions.
precipitating long winded arguments
that are bore to the judge and tire
| some to the jury. But then the attor-
| ney must earn his fee or give a good
imitation OF earning it, and anyhow
to expedite case would be a painful
Jolt TO the cobwebby traditions of
Jurisprudence.
On the occasion mentioned, the jury
made up Of men and a sprinkling of
women. would average up with the
general run Of juries, which Is not
particularly lauditory to the jury un-
der consideration. An amiable looking.
judge sat on the end of his spine-a
habit that most judges fall into when
sitting down to be bored with hearing
case-behind q counter on an ele-
vated platform. Then there was a gilt.
tering array Of legal talent, minor Of
ficials Of the court, ana the, unfortu-
nate individual who filled the role OF
defendant Also small sprinkling of
tndifferently interested spectators, the
combination going to make up the
ordinary features of court room
while court is in session.
To the uninitiated the proceedings
had peculiarities which no doubt are
the common practice of court proceed
ure. The most outstanding feature con-
firming Dickens sarcastic comment
upon the laws delay was an apparent
studied effort on the part Of all hands
to carry out formula Of "how not to
do it," Then the oral acrobatics in
combination with the attitudinizing of
| the legal lights was provocative of
smiles. while the apparent distress OF
witness under gruelling cross exam
nation, during which the interrogat-
.ng attorney always aims to make the
victim appear in the eyes of the jury
a perjured william, creates feeling of
sympathy. The various facial express
ions of the twelve peers Of the indi-
vidual on trial, or too often the lack OF
expression, is a study in which the
student gets no where, for what jury
is going to do from all outward and
visible appearances is something no
fellow has ever been able to work out
in advance, and that intelligent body
Is just as liable to do the unexpected
| as what might be expected from the
evidence presented Then there is the
arbiter on the bench with all his ap-
pearance Of somnolency. keen, alert,
keeping close tab on the proceedings,
with q hair-trigger readiness to pass
| upon any ordinary question submitted
to him for adjudication.
But it is the luminary of legal learn
ing that plays leading part in the le-
| gal comedy or drama as the case may
be and he fills prominent place up
On the stage. II he is the prosecuting
attorney he is there to see that the ac
cused gets hisen good and hard. He
may not be animated by any personal
feeling in the matter whatsoever, yet
| to hear him ask questions and then
listen to his address to the jury those
| within the sound Of his voice would
be inclined to believe the accused was
hung. Possibly the prosecutor does
not believe all he says, away down in
| his heart, but he has been elected to
use every legitimate means to break
up crime by bringing criminals to
speedy justice. and It is his duty to
use every method within the law to
bring about that end. On the other
hand the legal advisor for the defense
goes to the other extreme to save his
client from deserved. or undeserved,
| punishment and uses every artifice.
in profession where there are many
artifices, to throw dust in the eyes of
the jury. to play upon their sympa-
thies to break down damaging testi-
nony and with lynx eyes watch every
loop hole through which that client
might escape. To hear his appeal to
the jury one would form the impress
sion that the unfortunate accused was
IN angel in disguise who had come
down from the pearlv gates to act as
leaven to make this wicked world
better world in which to live.
There are all types of LAWYERS. as
there are all kinds of men. which is a
natural analogy. Every attorenv who
appears in court may have his particu-
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