, 1924-03-12
LIQUOR CASES BLOWUP--COURT
ENDS ABRUPTLY after WEEKS
WITH ONLY TWO CONVICTIONS
Judge Dismisses Cases Brought on Thin Evidence
Present Session Longest In History
of Park County

The longest and probably the most
expensive term of court ever held in
Park County ended last Saturday,
when Mr.. Goppert's star liquor viola
ton cases blew up, collapsed, fizzled
out like a spent pin-wheel on a fence
post.
After a session of five weeks, be-
ginning on February 9Th and ending
March Sth., with no expense spared
as to State witnesses, Mr.. Goppert
has two convictions to his credit-R.
D.. Livingston and A. E. Carey.
He turned the district court into a
police court, a. it seemed to those who
attended, and it would appear that
Judge Metz himself had something of
this feeling since on Saturday he dis
missed the cases still on the docket
which were to have piled more costs
on the County and stretched out the
session 10 an interminable length.
1t was apparent that in his zeal to
enforce the %prohibitory law, Park
County's extremely active prosecuting
attorney had preferred charges
against defendants upon the flimsiest
of evidence, and sworn to having
knowledge of liquor violations which
he could not substantiate.
II is understood that Mr.. Goppert
is now asserting that the defendants
IN the cases which were dismissed on
Saturday, pleaded guilty.
This is not the truth. The only per-
.D,- ,-L1 ,lo,InI ,-,,1t,, ,ar tp-a
Mexicans from Powell. The remain
der agreed to pay a portion of the
costs rather than to spend more mon
ey waiting for their cases to be reach
ed and to lose more time away from
their work or their ranches.
Many a person has paid unjust
debts or allowed himself to be i'm
posed upon in one way and another,
for the same reason that these defend
ant paid the various sums of money
which were assessed them.
The defendants were all prepared
to stand trial and abide by the verdict
rather than plead guilty, and the
pro ecuting attorneys alleged state
ment that they did so seems a rather
obvious effort to "save his face" and
avoid the humiliation of admitting
that his cases were too weak to go to
trial.
II goes without saying, that Judge
Metz, who stands strongly for law en-
forcement, would not have dismissed
these cases if he had believed the
prosecuting attorney had sufficient
evidence to obtain convictions.
When after spending a day, or half
a day in drawing a jury, the case was
dismissed for lack of evidence or the
Jury brought in a verdict of not guilty
IN 40 minutes, it would appear that
the Judge became suspicious of the
merit of the remainder of Mr.. Cop
pert's cases on the calendar and
brought the court term to an abrupt
end.
The following disposition was made
OF the cases on the docket:
Mike Mucklow, grand larceny, dis
missed.
Mike Mucklow, stealing livestock,
dismissed.
Mike Mucklow. stealing livestock,
not guilty.
Bert Oliver, liquor violation, dis
missed.
Charles Manning, LIQUOR violation,
dismissed.
Charles Manning, liquor violation,
dismissed.
Charles Manning, liquor violation.
dismissed.
Charles Manning. liquor violation,
plead guilty. Fine and costs, s426.S5.
Charles Manning. liquor violation,
dismissed.
Jack Spicer. liquor violation, dis
missed. Paid part Of court costs,
Charles Manning. liquor violation,
dismissed.
Jack Spicer, robbery. dismissed.
Jack Spicer, assault and battery,
dismissed.
x. ID. Livingston, embezzlcmcnt,
guilty. Sentenced "a years.
Katie l.. Primm, liquor violation,
dismissed.
Katie l.. primm, liquor violation,
dismissed. Paid half Of costs, s60.05.
Lester Moore. descrtion, dismissed.
a. +. Carey. liquor violation. gull
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