The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-06-10
HIEF JUDGE W. c. WALSH
CHARGES THE GRAND JURY
June Term of the Circuit Court
Convened In Oakland Monday
c. J. Gnagey, Foreman

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June Term of the Circuit Court for
Garrett County convened in Oakland
Chief Judge William C. Walsh, of
Cumberland, is presiding during the
term. who delivered the charge of
the grand jury, of which body Mr..
Gideon J. Gnagey, of Grantsville, is
the foreman.
The civil docket of the court is
short and the indications are that the
term will be of short duration, de-
pending somewhat upon the finding of
indictments by the grand jury. A
large number of witnesses have been
summoned to appear before that body
and testify concerning infractions of
the law.
In charging the grand jury, Judge
Walsh said:
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury: .
A"During the present term of court
you will constitute an important part
of the county government, and the
Court is confident that you will real
ize the responsibilities of the grave
duties you are to perform, and will
perform those duties with credit to
yourselves and to the community.
"Your chief duty will be to deter
mine who is apparently responsible
for the violations of the criminal law
which have occurred in the county
since the last grand jury adjourned
in December of last year, and upon
the thoroughness of your work in this
regard depends to a large extent the
proper administration of criminal JUS
tice in this county. Under our sys-
tenn of law no one can be punished
for serious crime unless he has been
first formally accused of it by grand
jury and afterwards tried and con-
victed In other words, the initial
step in the prosecution of criminal
offenses must be taken by a grand
Jury.
Z I'VE are told, and l believe truth
fully told, that crime is becoming
more and more prevalent in America
and an almost limitless number of
reasons are assigned for this condi-
ton by various people, but, whatever
the real reason may or may not be,
it is undeniably true that in this State
the primary duty of checking this
tendency, wherever it exists, and Of
preventing its inception where it does
not exist, rests upon grand juries.
You know from the newspapers where
crimes are committed publicly; you
know from your own observation
whether or not the laws are being OBJ,
served in the localities in which you
respectively reside, and you can call
upon the States Attorney, the Sheriff
and his deputies, and all other peace
officers in the county for additional
information regarding the condition
of affairs throughout the county Of
course, you gentlemen are not detec-
tives yourselves, and you are not
supposed to spend your own time and
the county's money in personally
seeking out those who have violated
the law or in securing witnesses to
these violations, but you have the
right and it is your duty to bring be-
fore you such persons as you have
proper reason to think know of the
commission of crimes and to require
the officers above mentioned to give
you the names of witnesses and all
other information they possess re-
garding the non-observance of the
law. Furthermore, it is the duty of
these officers to investigate all GRIM
inal violations and to apprehend those
whom they think have committed
them; it is your duty to report to the
Court any dereliction of these duties
which you may find among these Off
GERS. You are the only official body
which can do this, and your failure to
do it in any proper case may produce
very grave and harmful results. This
UIlel OutllIe Will, L IIuSl, SeINe W IL
lustrate to you how really important
your duties are and how much the
proper performance of them has to do
with the prevention and punishment
of crime.
'In referring to the alleged prev
alence of crime in different parts of
the country, 1 do not wish to be I'M
derstood as stating that such condi-
tion exists in Garrett county, nor
were any references to your duty to
check up on the various county Off
Gals intended as an intimation that
any of them have been lax in the
performance of their duties. As a
matter of fact, SO far as the Court is
advised, conditions throughout the
county are excellent, and it is mat
ter of qualification to the Court to be
able to say that we believe all the