Year: 1871

To the Grand Jury which convened on Monday
last, Judge A ]. Felter delivered the following
charge:


GENTLEMEN You have been called here,
from among your fellow-citizens, in accordance
with law, and are to Sit as the Grand Inquest for
this term, to enquire concerning offenses against
the People of the State of California, triable
within the County of Trinity.


Your general duties are sufficiently defined by
your oath, which binds you, under the most SOL
emn obligations, to present no person through
malice, hatred or ill-wil, nor leave any unpre-
sented through fear, favor or affection, for
any reward, or the promise or hope thereof.
The same oath binds you to diligent inquiry as
we'll as true presentment. You will not acquit
yourselves Of these obligations by slight or care
less Investigations. In respect to the mode and
extent of your inquiries, your own skill and
good judgment will be your best guide.


Our Government is a free Government, and
was founded in the love and respect of the Peo-
pie for such institutions. Ii is essentially a Gov
ernment of Law, and the law is the common
protector of all, and 1t is your duty to see its
dignity and sacredness preserved. Mr.. Lovejoy,
the District Attorney of the county, being your
legal adviser, will always be ready to aid you
with information on matters of law, and the
Court also will respond to any inquiries you





q charge, tor the purpose of either presentment
or Indictment, you shall receive no other evil
dence than such as is given by witnesses pro-
duced and sworn before you, or furnished legal
documentary evidence, or the deposition of wit
nesses taken in accordance with law You
ought to find indictment when all the evil
dence before you, taken together, is such as in
your judgment would, if unexplained or contra
dicted, warrant conviction by a trial jury.


1t is your duty, gentlemen, to inquire into the
case of every person imprisoned in the public
prison of the county on a criminal charge and
not indicted; into the condition and manage
meDt of the public prison and into the wllful
and corrupt misconduct in Office of public off,
GERS of every description within the county.
You are entitled to free access at all reasonable
times to the Public Prison, and to examination,
without charge, of all public records within the
county. II any Of you, gentlemen, know, or have
reason to believe, that public otfense has been
committed, which is triable within the county,
You must declare the same to your fellow Jurors
who shall thereupon investigate the same.


Except the District Attorney, no person shall
be permitted to be before you besides the wit
ness actually under examination, and no person
shall be permitted to be present during the ex-
preston of your opinions or giving of your votes
upon any matter before you.


1t is the duty of each of you to keep secret
whatever he himself or any other Grand Juror
may have said or in what manner he, or any
other Grand Juror, may have voted on matter
before you.


You are not bound to hear evidence for the
defendant, but it your duty to weigh all the ev-
dence submitted to you, and when you have
reason to believe that other evidence within
your reach will explain away the charge, You
should order such evidence to be produced, and
for that purpose may require the District Attor-
ney to issue process for the witnesses.


There seems to be no necessity, at this time,
for further observations from the Court You
will retire to your rooms, gentlemen, carrying
with you, doubt not in your retirement, the
serious obligations you have taken upon your
selves.