Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 1, Number 11, DeMotte, Jasper County, 6 October 1932 — JUDGE LEOPOLD MAKES STATEMENT [ARTICLE]

JUDGE LEOPOLD MAKES STATEMENT

NO MORE JURY CASES HEARD UNTIL LAKE COUNTY PAYS. There shall be no more jury cases heard from our neighbors in Lake County until that county makes a settlement for past cases that have been tried in the Jasper courts. Judge Leopold feels that the taxpayers interests should be protected by his new “cash and carry” program for future cases. To those of you who have not been reading of the difficulty we are printing Judge Leopold’s letter to the Secretary of the Lake County Bar Ass’n. “Sept. 30, 1932 (to) Mr. Lester E. Murphy, Sec’y. Lake Co. Bar Ass’n. E. Chicago, Ind. Dear Mr. Murphy: I am addressing this letter to you as Secretary of the Lake County Bar Ass’n in order to clear up a misunderstanding that may exist as to my attitude as Judge of the Thirtieth Judicial Circuit in refusing to permit any cases venued from Lake County to be tried either in the Jasper or Newton Circuit Courts. For your enlightenment, I have never refused to try any case from Lake County triable before the Court and wll continue to try them just as long as they are sent to either of said courts on a change of venue. My objection to assigning for trial jury cases venued here from your county is due to the fact that my appropriation for jury service in this county amounted to $1800 for this year and that has all been exhausted in the trial of cases venued here from Lake County which your Board of Commissioners have refused to pay, together with the other expenses which are legally chargable to your county.

At the beginning of this term of court there remained in my appropriation for jury service approximately $600 and that sum has all been exhausted in the trial of three cases venued here from Lake county, namely: State of Indiana vs Jewell Thompson, on a murder charge; Mason vs the Penn. R. R.which was an action for damages; and State vs Holmes, which was a criminal action, and these three cases combined occupied nine days of the court at an average cost of $60 per day for jury service, making a total of $540, leaving me nothing to pay jurors for the balance of this term and with the November term of court ahead of me.

Under the situation as above stated I am sure that the Lake County Bar Ass’n will readily see my side of the question in its true light. This court has never refused to try any case from Lake County as long as Lake county paid the legitimate expenses of the trial of the cases and I can assure you that if the verified bills which have been sent to the Audtior of your counts are paid promptly that I will continue to try your cases just as long as you desire to have them venued to this or Newton county.

(Signed)

MOSES LEOPOLD