The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-07-06
Respect for Courts


usual respect which was shown for an mJunc-
ion issued late in the day By Judge James
feathers.
The respect was as remarkable as the IN
.1nc+ion was interesting, and the injunction
,rss onIv less remarkable than the plea on
which it was issued.
Hinder the Injunction the sheriff and chief
If noIioe were restrained for a few days from
INTERFERING with the enterprises at the track
,rbare nightly the dogs race and, thanks TO
,ba Injunction men could put their money IN
s,,a1ones mass it to paid employees and II the
7oo, qrbicb they favored won the race, receive
hack profit on their investment.
The peace officers obeyed the Injunction
,ri+b righteousness that should 90 1ar 10
.ssnra the faith of citizens who believe that
there is no longer any respect for courts
So did the prosecutor of the county who
Gathered evidence Of what be frankly an
7ounced was gambling and violation OF the
law.
The sheriff who was on the ground, also be-
Tered that what he saw was gambling
And 50 the people had the remarkable
demonstration Of crime, or what the ofhclaS
believe to be crime, being openly committed
=. full view Of the chief law enforcement
officers of the county, repeated and committed
again and their hands tied by an order from
a Judge
This should 90 far to assure citizens that
the courts will always be respected and o0eyed.
The plea on which the injunction was issued
e remarkable document. 1t asserts that the
promoters did not intend to tolerate trickery
and +bat M one will "involuntary" lose money.
Aside from that, and adding touch OF
sanctitv to the plea. was the solemn assurance
that the promoters would under no clrcum-
s+.rcas hermit any violation of the prohibition
laws.
Therefore. in substance the petition urged
that the sheriff and the police chief should be
restrained from interfering with what might
annear TO them to be gambling on the result
of the fleetness of the dogs.
To the lay mind, there would have been al
least warning IN the plea that the chief ana
sheriff intended TO stop something that they be-
Geved to be criminal.
To the mind not trained in law, there "oulo
have been something suggestive IN the plea
that The law be handcuffed for the reason that
thew did not propose to permit drinking.
Perhaps we have reached the stage "nere
? solemn promise to obey the prohibition la"
should give some privilege to violate any
other law. And perhaps not.
There is something more fundamental IN
this episode than the mere question OF whether
men and women shall be permitted to gamble
an doc races For there is no mistake about
What bannened under the eyes Of the snerlh
and the. prosecutor. Mere juggling with names
does not change the fact that the persons VINO
7ra1ked ND to the windows and slipped their
dolIars through the wickets believed that they
we're Gambling and certainly went through all
the forms of gambling.
The real question IS whether 1t IS possible
for any Judge to handcutf the sheriff and chief
If rolice when they believe that the law is to u
violated and outraged.
That opens new viStas, if It can be done
Gunner might find injunetions convenient. So
might bandits and robbers.
It is inconceivable that any Judge. under
any circumstances would issue sn injunction
to prevent officers Of the law from stopping
crime.
Undoubtedly Judge Leathers would resent
most firmly any suggestion that he intended to
do such thing He would very probably crlti-
else officers who interpreted any order he Is
sued as restraining them from doing their
duty.
As practical matter. the promoters Of dos
racing must have discovered that all they need
is thirty days of unrestrained liberty to gamble
10 make huge profits for themselves and bank
rupt any city in which they operate
Everybody should be happy. The pro
motors have their brokers in action. The dogs
bark The people invest and profit or lose
mostly lose The sheriff and police chief
watch from the side lines, still believing that
what they see is gambling.
But there is respect for courts. grave and
1..o ~oeDao+ So crave and 50 deem that no