"The System," As Uncovered by the San Francisco Graft ProsecutionHichborn, Franklin
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"The System," As Uncovered by the San Francisco Graft Prosecution
Hichborn, Franklin
Political corruption -- California -- San Francisco; San Francisco (Calif.) -- Politics and government
"Quite the contrary. So far from their taking this obvious
course to secure justification the aid of a shining and costly
array of legal talent is invoked to prevent, if it may be
possible, any show-down whatever of the evidence in any court.
They object to even coming into court and pleading whether they
are guilty or not. It is declared that it will be alleged that
the purported Grand Jury, which went through the form of
indicting them, is an illegal body, with no standing whatever
in court, and that, therefore, there is no indictment at all.
It will not, apparently, be claimed that the members of the
alleged Grand Jury were not discreet citizens, legally
competent to serve as Grand Jurors; that they were not
regularly appointed as such according to law; that they were
not duly sworn into office, or that, having listened to sworn
evidence delivered under the forms of law, these reputable
citizens, upon that evidence, accuse them of felony. None of
these things, it is supposed, will be alleged. What is to be
alleged, it is said, is that the number of names from which the
Grand Jury was drawn was 113, instead of 125, which, by the
way, is promptly denied. What earthly bearing could that have,
if it were true, on the guilt or innocence of the men accused
of felony? Can it be conceived as possible, even if that were
proved, that our laws are drawn so completely in the interest
of criminals as to enable men accused of felony to escape
trial?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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