The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-09-15
CHARGE TO GRAND JURORS
Is MADE BY JUDGE DOUB
Concluded from Page Onel

AlAlAAC "AlOIllOA SiAC POI OACO oPPS0A w
have been guilty of the crimes for
found or not, and whether indictments
should be returned upon which the
parties should be arraigned and tried
before the petit jury or not.
You will remember that your num-
Der is twenty-three and that major
ity of your number is twelve. 1t
makes no difference whether your
number may be reduced by illness, alb
sence or other cause, you can find no
indictment unless twelve of your num-
Der vote in favor of the indictment.
Probably information will be pre-
scented to you against particular indi-
viduals for larceny, for burglary, for
incest and for other crimes that may
occur from time to time, but it is
not necessary for me to speak of such
matters. l know that you understand
the law with regard to such things,
and that with the assistance of the
States Attorney you will take care
of such matters as they may arise.
There is, however, one thing. about
which l want to say word to you as
grand jurors. You will noaice through
the newspapers that the two great po-
litical parties have declared in favor
of the repeal or modification of the
Eighteenth Amendment and the Vol
stead Act-one to repeal the Amend
ment and the Volstead Act and the
other to replace another Amendment
instead of the present amendment.
Do not be in any way deceived by the
public discussion of these matters.
You are not in any way concerned in
these matters.The Eighteenth Amend
ment to the Constitution and the Vol
stead Act might be repealed tomor-
row, yet your duty as grand jury
remains the same. Your duty is to
enforce the laws and all the laws OF
Garrett county, and that duty involveI
the enforcement of the liquor law as
we'll as of all other laws. The people
of Garrett county are responsible for
that law and they have said, through
their legislature, that it is unlawful
to sell Intoxicating liquors in Gar
rett county without a license to do
so, and that it is likewise unlawful to
have intoxicating liquor in ones pos
session in Garrett county for the pur-
pose of sale. You may be in favor Of
the repeal of the Eighteenth Amend
ment; you may be in favor of the re-
peal of the Volstead Act, yet your
duty as grand jurors remains the
same. Therefore, l repeat it is for
you to determine whether prima
facie case is made out by the evil
dence presented to you. Ii you as
grand Jurors, feel that evidence has
been presented to you sufficient to in
dictate that the law has been violated
and that the accused person is prob
ably guilty of such violation, it is
your duty to find an indictment. The
matter can then be presented before
the petit jury for trial and it is for
them to say, after a consideration of
all of the testimony both for and
against, whether the person accused is
guilty.
The legislature has further said
that we should charge the grand jury
with reference to certain statutes.
One of them is the crime of abortion.
If evidence is presented before you
indicating that any person or per-
sons have been guilty of this offense
you will be expected to give it your
careful attention and to return in
dictments if the evidence in your opin-
ion warrants.
The same applies to the offense of
carrying concealed weapons. The
practice of carrying concealed danger
Gus and deadly weapons is very dam
gerous thing which in many instances
leads to more serious crimes, because
in the heat of passion the fact of
having a dangerous or deadly weapon
at hand is the cause of many crimes
of vilonce, which might not have been
committed had the guilty party had
time to reflect.
1t is the duty of the Clerk of this
Court, the Sheriff, the Tax Collector
and the County Treasurer to collect,
receive and pa yover money to the
State and by law it is made your
duty to examine the books of such Of
ficer to determine whether such mon
eys have been properly accounted for
and whether there are any defaulters
and you will investigate accordingly.
The manufacture and sale of habit
forming drugs, such as morphine,
opium, cocaine and the like, the use
of which is dangerous and so destruc-
tive to the lives and happiness of our
people is also forbidden by law, and
this law is one which we are required
to call to your particular attention.
You will therefore look into this mat
ter and make as full investigation as
possible. If you find that any person
has been engaging in this horrible
traffic it will be your duty to return
indictments in order that they may
be tried, and if conviction is had, pun
ished for the offense.
Up until few years ago the Court
was required to charge you with ref
erence to the mining laws of Garrett
county. The law has since been
changed and amended, but we do want
to ask you to call in the State Mine
Inspector and make full inquiry as to
whether these laws are being complied
with, because neglect of proper pre-
cautions in the operation Of the mines
of the county may bring about suffer-
| ing and death to great numbers of
people engaged in the mining indus
try.
Now, gentlemen, 1 have nothing
more to say except that 1 want to call
| your attention to the fact that it is
your duty to be as expeditions in your
deliberations as possible, having due
reference to full and efficient per-
Torrance of the duties involving upon
you.
1t is the duty of the Court, it is the
duty of the lawyers, of the School