Law Magazine, Or Quarterly Review of Jurisprudence, Vol. 28
Author | : |
Publisher | : Forgotten Books |
Total Pages | : 532 |
Release | : 2017-01-13 |
ISBN-10 | : 0243010362 |
ISBN-13 | : 9780243010363 |
Rating | : 4/5 (62 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: Excerpt from Law Magazine, or Quarterly Review of Jurisprudence, Vol. 28: For August, 1842, and November, 1842 Now, although we condemn the unnecessary and frivolous repetition of averments which may be false in fact, we admit the wisdom of allowing great latitude in all allegations of time and place; and we then contend that if such laxity is permitted in these comparatively important circumstances, why should it not be equally allowed in those which are of less consequence? So far as the trial is concerned, the ia dictment is sufficiently precise if it points out generally the nature of the crime with which the prisoner is charged. If it does more, it assumes the province of evidence; and it Should be remembered that a prisoner does not come to his trial ignorant either of the specific charge or of the primb. Facie evidence by which that charge is intended to be supported. Previously to any bill being preferred to the grand jury, the prisoner is taken before the magistrates, when the witnesses are examined on oath in his presence. Their testimony is reduced into writing, and, on the payment of a small sum, we heartily wish we could say gratis, the prisoner has a right to be furnished with a copy of these depositions. He is also, at the time of his trial, entitled to inspect, without fee or re ward, all the depositions taken against him, which have been returned; so that it is difficult to imagine how he can be misled by the language of the indictment, if he will only take advantage of the protection allowed him by law. Moreover, when we remember that the great body of prisoners are illiterate persons, few of whom can afford the means of securing the assistance of counsel, it is palpable that any system which curtails the length and simplifies the form of indictments, and renders unnecessary the multiplicity of counts, must be productive of no trifling benefit to the unfortunate beings who stand at the bar of a criminal court. For what object can be witnessed more painfully ridiculous than the sight of a poor wretch, who can neither read nor write, and whose humble powers of apprehension are con founded and almost paralysed by'shame and fear, yet striving in vain to collect the real charge against him from an indict ment of perhaps fifty folios and twenty counts, dressed up in the most approved confusion of Special pleading verbiage? Is it not treating common sense like folly, to say that such an indictment can give any information to such a person? About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.