The Republican., 1931-06-04
CHARGE TO GRAND JURY
GIVEN BY JUDGE SLOAN
June Term of the Circuit Court
Convened Monday; Will be Last
June Term Under New Law
H. P. MILLER, FOREMAN

The last June jury term of the Cir
cult Court for Garrett county con-
vened Monday morning shortly after
ten o'clock with Chief Judge D. Lind
ley Sloan, of Cumberland, presiding.
Under the law passed at the recent
session of the Maryland General As
sembly this will be the last jury term
of the Circuit Court to convene dur
ing the month of June. Hereafter
jury terms of this court will convene
in September and March of each year.
Mr.. Henry P. Miller, foreman of the
grand jury, and his fellow members
of that body were sworn by Clerk E.
z. Tower, following which Judge
Sloan delivered the charge, the full
text of which appears below:
Gentlemen of the Grand jury
So many of you have already served
on grand juries that it seems almost
superfuous to instruct you as to the
duties you are to perform.
You are an investigating body
whose duty it is to investigate charges
of offenses against the criminal laws
of the State. The grand jury is, per-
haps, the most ancient institution that
we have in the administration of the
law.
There was a time when the grand
jury was not only an accusing body,
that is, that it brought charges
against those who had violated the
criminal law before the court, but
after having done that it heard the
trials of those offenses on their mer-
its and then decided as to the guilt or
innocence of the party charged.
Your duty, however, is now confined
to the mere investigation of often
ses. If you find that the testimony in
your judgment is sufficient to warrant
a trial of those charged with the COM
mission of these offenses on the mer-
its then it is your duty to present
them and indict them in order that
they may be brought into court and
their guilt or innocence determined
by the court or a jury as the party
charged may elect.
Your duties are rather clearly de-
Ia in the oath which was admins
= wai to your foreman and to which
'e.;ch of you has subscribed. You are,
without partiality and without preju-
dice, to hear the witnesses who may
be brought before you and, as your
judgment may dictate, indict or not
indict.
It is desirable that you keep secret,
as you have sworn to do, all that
transpires in the jury room. One of
the reasons for that is that if any
of those against whom charges may
be brought and who have not been
apprehended or have not given bail,
should hear of it it gives them an op-
portunity to escape and there are,
over a period Of years, perhaps scores
of cases in which arrests have not
been made because of the fact that
information has got out or the par
ties suspected that they are wanted.
It is desirable also in the admins
tration of justice, that you not only
talk to no one of what goes on in the
grand jury room or about any of the
offenses that you may investigate,
but that you do not permit anyone to
speak to you about such matters. 1t
is contempt of court if they attempt
such thing and it is your duty to
bring to the attention of the court
anyone who may speak to you out
side of those whose duty it is to in
vestigate and bring these matters to
your attention. It is contempt of
court for them to have anything to
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