When a prisoner was put to plea and
asked for counsel the judge would se
lect a name from the list. The lawyer
would then confer with the prisoner
and direct him to plead "not guilty.”
"In the next 24 hours the lawyer
would spend most of his time trying
to get the state's attorney to promise
to recommend a light penalty upon
the prisoner changing his plea to
guilty. Once something of the kind
was obtained, the lawyer would next
labor to get his assigned client to
make the changed plea.
“There were occasional exceptions
to this, the general rule, but at. least
three-quarters of the cases at each
term would be cleared off the docket
in this manner.
“At the last term of the general as
sembly it was proposed to appoint a
public defender, just as the judges
name a state's attorney. The present
law was a compromise. Under its
provisions the judges, at their annual j
sessions, may name a defender, or he j
must be appointed prior to 30 days be
fore the beginning of the term. Weth
er or not this will deprive all the law- :
yers of their assignments is not cer- |
tain. The law is on the books and will l
be applied for the first time at the
coming September term of the crimi
nal superior court which opens Sep
tember 11.”
ON BUYING TRIP
Charles Seder left for New York,
Sunday, where he will spend the great
er part of the week buying for the
fall trade.
HAVE.YOU BEEN SICK?
Then you realize the utter weakness
that robs ambition, destroys appetite,
and makes work a burden.
