The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-06-10
CHIEF JUDGE W. c. WALSH
CHARGES The GRAND JURY

1t may be changed, but as long as the
law remains on the statute books, it
is the unmistakable duty of the
Courts and of the responsible officials
of the government to enforce it, and
it is also the unmistakble duty of the
individual citizen to obey it. Here in
Garrett county the majority of your
citizens voted for a local option law
sometime before the adoption of the
Eighteenth Amendment, so that
whatever may be the case elsewhere
| here in Garrett county the State law
prohibiting the manufacture and sale
of Intoxicating liquor has not only the
sanction of authority but also has be-
hind it the weight of majority pub
lie opinion duly expressed at the polls.
Under these circumstances, there can
be no argument of any sort brought
against its enforcement, and [ am
sure that all of you will realize the
propriety and necessity of promptly
indicting those whom you may find
have violated it.
The Court also wishes to call your
attention to the law prohibiting the
carrying of concealed weapons. A
strict enforcement of this law is al
ways necessary, because its violation
often turns trivial disputes into very
serious offenses, and may result in
grave injury to individual citizens.
"There are certain statutes which
the Court is required to call to the
attention of each grand jury in this
county, and these, briefly, are as fol-
lows:
Section 3 of Article 81 of the Code
of Public General Laws relating to
abortion;
Section 70 of Article 81 relating to
defaulters (this latter refers only to
those officials whose duty it is to col
lect money due the State or county, !;
Sections 2S3 to 2S6, inclusive, of Ar
ticle 81, relating to the selling or Civ
ing away of narcotic drugs;
Sections Al and AZ of Article 80 of
the Code of Public General Laws of
Maryland prohibiting the catching of
certain fish at certain times of the
year.
"The foreman appointed by the
Court is the head of your body, and
will preside over your deliberations,
and you should also select two of
your members to act as clerks. One
of these clerks should keep a docket
on which should be set out the name
of the accused, the charge against
him, the names of the witnesses exam
ined and the disposition which you
make of the case. The other clerk
should keep as full memorandum as
possible, consistent with the prompt
dispatch of your business, of the tes-
timony of the various witnesses. This
memorandum is important as an aid
to the States Attorney in the subse-
quent trial of the cases, and it also
enables him to determine whether OF
not witnesses change their testimony
at the trial.
"You should, so far as practicable
first take up the cases of those per-
sons who are confined in the Jail in
order that any prisoner against whom
no presentment or Indictment is found
Il may be released from custody; next
consider those who are out on bond
and finally consider the cases of those
who are charged for the first time be-
fore you, or whose cases arise in the
course of your investigation.
"After hearing the witnesses in a
case a vote is taken on whether OF
not you will present or indict the
party charged, and in order to bring
in presentment or an indictment at
least twelve of your members must
vote in favor of such action.
"In your deliberations, you have
the right to call upon the States At
torney for assistance and advice, and
you will usually find it to your adj
vantage to have him present to aid in
the examination of witnesses, though
you have the right to exclude him
from the grand jury room at any time
you might desire to do so, and you
are required to exclude him and all
others who are not members of the
grand jury when voting on a present
ment or indictment.
"You also have the right to ask the
advice of the Court should any mat
tiers arise on which you wish such ad.
vice.
"You will recall that your oath
binds you to secrecy, and we wish to
impress upon you the necessity of a
strict observance of this rule. Any
information divulged by you as tc
what goes on in the grand jury room
may, among other things, result ir
the escape of someone who has beer
indicted, and hence, for this reason
alone, you should be very careful moi
to discuss with anyone, not a member
of your body, what goes on during
your deliberations.
Gin conclusion, we wish to war;
you against those who will come be-