The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1963-03-14
Judge Hamill Gives
Charge to Grand Jury

N@AANA ~ W ~
Associate Judge Stuart F. Hamill
delivered the charge to the grand
jurors on Monday morning who
had been called to report to the
court house at that time to begin
their investigation and delibera-
ton into the alleged violations of
the laws of the county and state.
Judge Hamill explained the
duties of grand jurors in detail and
also read excerpts from Jurors
Creed, a composite of essays in
contest of the committee on Ameri-
can Citizenship of the American
Bar association.
Following the delivery of the
charge the members retired to the
grand jury room where they began
their deliberations with assistance
from the states attorney, Fred A.
Thayer.
The complete text of the charge
is given.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the
Grand Jury:
First of all, should like to take
this opportunity to welcome you to
Court and express my thanks to
you in advance for the service Nou
are about to render your county,
your state and your country. You
have been chosen in the manner
prescribed by law to serve as Grand
Jurors for the March, 1868. Term
of the Circuit Court for Garrett
County, Maryland. / realize that
this is an imposition upon many
Of you, but at the same time you
must realize that it is a distinct
privilege and honor to have been
asked to serve on the Grand Jury.
! am certain that some of you have
served previously and it will not
be new experience for you;
others, however, may not have
served before, but in any event,
it is customary for the presiding
judge to give you certain instruc-
tons to guide you in the perform
ance of YOUR duties.
1t has been said that Jury serV-
ice is one of the highest duties of
for by it the citizen
in the administration
of justice between individual and
and government and in
oividual. The qualifications of
Juror is that he must be at least
twenty-five years of age. If over
seventy, he may ask to be eX-
cused, the same as women are
permitted to do at this time. There
is no property ownership required
and the only other qualification is
that the Juror must be registered
voter and acceptable to the Court
and members of the Bar
The institution of the Grand
Jury as it existed in England at
the time of the settlement of this
Country, was adopted by the Dec
laration of Rights of the Constitu-
ton of Maryland as a fundamental
and integral part of the judicial
system of this State. Since then,
no material change has been made
in the procedure or powers of the
Grand Jury; thus, upon qualifica-
ton as a Grand Juror, the same
oath that was administered to you
here today, was used in England
prior to settlement of this Coun-
try, the only difference being that
l do not believe our clerk, Mr.
Davis, has a British accent. The
Grand Jury was designed to be a
body of discreet and intelligent
persons called together, not to act
hastily and inadvisedly upon an
accusation against citizen and
place him on trial, but to act with
decorum and to protect the public
interest and vindicate the dignity
Of the law.
1t is your duty to investigate
alleged violations of the Criminal
Laws of this State that may have
been committed in Garrett Coun-
ty. You are an accusing body, but
you are also a quasi-judicial tri-
hunal That means that you make
decisions; you make decision as
to whether or not there is suffici-
cnt evidence produced before you