Show Illustrates the Ne Need d. d of f Public Defender A Salt Lake Lak attorney who o belongs to the progressive thinking cI class ss told THE TELEGRAM f yesterday of a recen recent t case case here that emphasizes s the need of a public defender like many wide awake ci cries cities jes have Several chickens were st stolen len one night The next morning th the p police ice were notified and traced the tracks of one man to a aI I nearby b house When the officers entered and searched the place they f found und tl the chickens under a canvas canvas' Then they tIley found four men man asleep in the house and all more i or or less ess' ess stupid from the effects of liquor They arrested them When the men were arraigned in incourt court all of them swore that they knew kileN nothing about the chickens none could explain how they reached the house But two of them told the court they were too poor to employ attorneys and while they were innocent nt of anything more sinful than drinking too much they felt it better to plead guilty to a minor offense and receive small punishment than take the their l chances before a prosecutor They we were re ignorant of the law and its ways and they were afraid of it The other two m men n pleaded not guilty They could not employ employ employ em em- ploy lawyers but the court appointed counsel for them One of the men Inen who was very old was also very crafty and cunning He assembled his wife and seven children in the court court- already He was vas ac ac- room You know lenow the answer anser to his case quitted Under Uncle r our legal system there is is ev every ry opportunity to appeal to the emotions more than to their reason The other old man didn't fare so well He lIe didn't have any plan to work 1 on the jurors' jurors sentiments Somebody stole those chickens This old man was as selected as the guilty one one although two other men had already pleaded guilty to petty larceny in connection connection connection con con- with this crime In the final passing around of justice one of the quartette received a sentence of six months in the penitentiary another not er was sentenced to three months in jail a third was ordered imprisoned for thirty days and the fourth th was released Could anything be more farcical Either one man alone was guilty of stealing those chickens f for r only the tracks of one man Juan were discovered or all four were equally guilty all II having l knowledge of the theft and planning to I share in the booty Therefore in i common sense ense all should have rec received ived equal punishment or three should have been released There was no justice at all aU in the outcome of this case It is like h hundreds of others Two poor men preferred to take a city jail sentence though professing innocence rather rattier than take ch chances nc s with a sentence not having having faith in a system tem tern that provides for far the appointment of any attorney who vho comes along to defend the poor while th the state is represented by a skilled prosecutor I Had there been a capable public defender here her that chicken case would not have been such a bungled affair The official would have investigated the case ease and would have protected the innocent ones The city licenses places to sell intoxicating liquor so 50 surely it couldn't be justified in sending those men to prison just because they admitted that they had been in a drunken stupor the night of the theft itA A lawyer who is busy with cases that make him his bread and butter buttel should not have to give up his valuable time to these free c cases cases ses said an attorney to TH THE TELEGRAM There should be e a public defender Any person who is unable to pay for legal advice would have to make an oath of before receiving receiving ing g aid from the public defender Otherwise vise that official would be ru rushed gushed hed to death and lawyers who have spent years learning their profession sion would woul sta starve Y to death I do not believe any unfair advantage would be taken because a person with means who vho took ur up up th the time of the defender who is provided for the poor only would be liable to a a. penitentiary sentence for perjury By all means 1 I hope hoe THE TEL TELEGRAMS TELEGRAM'S IS I'S agitation for a public defender will bring about needed results s sEvery Every Egery very day THE 1 sees new proof of the need of an official in the cases of loan sharks sharks' victims appealed to this I paper for advice I |