Salt Lake Tribune | 1914-03-06 | Page 14 | Shearman Brands Charges as Silly

SH1I BHDS nUGBIS SILLY I County ancl District Attorneys Attor-neys Say Judges Only Can Call Grand Jury. Only the Judges of the district court can call a grand Jury to Investigate the charges made hy thc labor federation that W. 11. Shoarman, city commif-slon-er, filed a false statement of campaign expenses. Both the county attorney and tho district attorney made this declaration declara-tion yesterday, citing the state constitution, constitu-tion, article 1, section 13. wherein It Is provided that the Judges of the district court shall Impanel' a grand Jury of seven men whenever In their judgment tho Interests In-terests of the community require it. Initiative In such a step Is no more incumbent upon my office than upon any private- citizen," said the county attorney, attor-ney, I. K, Willcy. "My duties In such a matter- would not begin until thc court had ordered the impaneling of the jury," said 1-1 O. Leatherwood, tho district attorney. "Then It would bo my duty to examine the veniremen ve-niremen called and to direct the investigations investi-gations undertaken bv such a jury. As for me taking the Initiative, I am no more qualified than any other citizen or official." of-ficial." The county attorney said yesterday that he had made no reply to the communication com-munication from the labor federation and was not certain that he would write the federation a letter. In view of thc fact that publicity had been given his stand In the matter already. "Tho Insinuation by the federation that to prosecute Mr. Shearman might provo embarrassing to my office is ridiculous," he said. "Wo prosecute whenever It is made known, to us In a reliable manner that a law hns been violated and the Informant In-formant Is willing to swear to a complaint. com-plaint. Questions of politics, religion, or anything elao do not enter into our policy In this regard,-" Commissioner Shearman had no further statement to make yesterday except to brand the charges aa silly and unworthy a reply or a defense from him.