Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-04-22
Grand Jury.
Still Out of Jail; Gives
Recommendations
fuses to Accept Presentments Commenting
On Court or Permit Them To Be Read


I position was that it was not within
the jurisdiction of the grand jury to
tell how the court should be run.
Judge Munro refused to accept the
prescntments when the grand jury
declined to alter them and began
! signing an order. Many thought that
it was an order committing the grand
jury to Jail for contempt of court as
1t had been reported that the entire
grand jury probably would be sent
to jail for contempt. The document
however, was simply an order dis
charging the jury and the late jurors
and the crowd of citizens informal
iy left the court room.
"The grand jury was dishonorably
discharged" was the street express
sion in commenting on the action of
the court.
In re-charjing the jury Judge
Munro dwelt at some length on the
duties of grand juries and the pow
ers and limitations of grand jurors.
Discretion Without Limit.
He said in part:
"Your discretion is without limit
and | would not dare interfere with
a grand juror in the discharge of
his duty. | would not Interfere or
attempt to dictate to you, gentle
men, as to your discretion. The
discretion Of the judge is the most
important prerogative he has to eX-
ercise under the oat he takes and no
one has right to interfere with
that discretion"
He read from the code definition
Of misdemeanor punishment for
crime in defining the duties of the
jurors and in his own words defined
discretion as freedom to act ones
own judgment"
He asked, "have you right to
question the wisdom of my judg-
ment, my discretion? Shouldn't |
be allowed to do my duty as | see
it. | am addressing you now and
here, gentlemen, as a citizen. AS
the lawgiver, | instruct you that
juror has no right to make any sug-
gestion or to attempt to dictate as
to my discretion. Haven't my acts
from this bench demonstrated that
have used my discretion with disdom,
without bias as in larZe measure
without error
''We cannot afford to permit our
jurors and courts to put their ears
to the ground and listen to the vox
populi 1t is not one of your duties,
it is not Required of you to inter-
fere with my discretion. AS the law
giver | am the Moses and you must
take the law as | give it to you.
Il ask no quarters, there is enough
power and dynamite in me to control
my courts upon a dignified plane and
| will" he declared as he proceeded
to give instances of the rapidity and
dispatch with which he has conducted
the courts over the circuit, the speed
Of which he likened in one of his
characteristic remarks to that Of
6INaoCh liSHGIlIISs ne maintained
that he had disposed Of twice as much
business within the same length of
time as some of the preceding courts.
81 am master of the situation in
the running of my court and you as
grand jurors have no right to defy
the authority of this court" he de-
clared. Continuing, he asked, ''why
all this heralding and trumpeting
through the newspapers?" AS he
read the law with reference to the
secrecy to which grand jurors are
sworn. why did all these things get
out when you took the oath to se
crecy?" -
Judge Munro made it clear that he
had no criticism for the press, but
maintained they have certain rights
and privileges to criticize, also that
speakers had a right to criticise the
courts but that jurors are nto so
'unbridled."