The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1959-03-12

and protect the innocent You will
realize, therefore, that there is
responsibility resting upon every
Grand Juror to protect your body
from being used by intimidation,
for revenge, or for personal gain.
Indeed. the oath which you have
just taken requires that you shall
diligently inquire and true pre-
sentiment make of all such mat
ters which may come before you
and that you shall present no
person through envy, hatred or
malice, nor leave anyone unpresent-
| cd through love, fear, favor or af-
lection or by any offer or promise
/ or reward" The obligation of
your oath is the greater in that
j the Grand Jury is the sole judge
of each fact. He cannot be ques-
toned for anything that he may
say or may vote that he may give
relative to any matter legally
/ pending before the Grand Jury,
/ save only for perjury committed
| in making an accusation or in
! tc stifying as witness before any
! fellow jurors.
You will find that most of the
/ cases presented to you will have
been Investigated by the States
Attorney and other law enforce
/ mcnt officers Actually, you will
hear only the States side. and
1 il is your duty to decide if the
! charge is supported by such evil
dence as warrants the trial of the
! accused by the criminal court
1t is your responsibility to deter
mine whether the charge may be
| true or false, and which should be
tried and which should be dis
missed.
In a criminal case, an accused
( is presumed innocent until proven
guilty beyond a reasonable doubt
and no one should be called up
on TO answer an unfounded charge.
You must bear in mind, however,
that a Grand Jury is an accusing
body rather than a judicial tri-
bUnal. 1t is not your function to
convict or acquit. you hear but one
side of the matter and that is the
States evidence. 1t is the func-
ton. of the Petit Jury or Court
to determine guilt or innocence
after fair and impartial trial in
which the evidence of the State
and the accused has been pre-
scented.
The work of the Grand Jury
has been considerably lCssened in
recent years for the reason that
after an accused has been arrested
on charge preferred against him,
he may waive indictment by the
Grand Jury and request an i'm
mediate trial before the court.
These cases are speedily heard
and the case disposed of by the
court. AS l said before, this has
reduced the work of the Grand
Jury and substantial financial saw
inGs result
While testimony is being pro-
ducCd before you, the only per-
sons allowed in the Grand Jury
Room besides you own members
are the States Attorney and the
witnesses testifying before you.
Your proceedings must be abb
solutely secret. No disclosure of
any side concerning your delibera-
llOlS VI HOW lllUlNIOudl IleInDGIS
of the jury voted with respect to
any charge considered by your
Body, unless you are directed by
the court to make any such dis
closures.
| believe Garrett County is free
of organized vice and crime that
often is prevalent in larger COM
munities Nevertheless. it is i'm
pOrtant that the enforcement Of
ficers be alert in bringing to JUS
tice all those guilty of violations
of criminal statutes and your Body
too plays an important part in
maintaining law and order in this
community.
1t is the duty and the response
bilities of the County Commits
sioncrs of the County to see to it
that the public buildings owned
by the County are kept in proper