Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1897 — MAY CRITICISE THE JUDGE. [ARTICLE]

MAY CRITICISE THE JUDGE.

Wisconsin Court Hands Down a Decision Against Judge Bailey? Justice J. B. Winslow of the Wisconsin Supreme Court handed down a decision that is of particular interest to lawyers and newspaper publishers. The opinion is in the case of the proceedings for contempt of court by Judge W. F. Bailey, of Eau Claire against H. C. Ashbaugh and L. A. Doolittle. The court says: „ We are well persuaded that newspaper comments on cases finally decided prior to the publication cannot be considered criminal contempt. Truly, It must be a grevlous and weighty necessity which will justify so arbitrary a proceeding whereby a candidate for office becomes the accuser, judge and jury, and may within a few hours punish his critic by imprisonment. If there can be any more effectual way to gag the press and subvert freedom of speech, we do not know where to find it.