Salt Lake Telegram | 1934-01-25 | Page 4 | Straw Bonds Again

STRAW BONDS AGAIN SALT r ALT LAKE in common with most other Li cities has bad had its troubles with straw Bondsmen For the most niost part cases wherein tl they y have figured have been minor poli police e court mat matters ers but the J Jersky ersky bondsmen old- old time professional practitioners seem stein to have hav transferred their a activities to the district court When the case of Jack Jersky of Chicago was called in Judge IcK 1 s McKinne court the theother theother theother other day he was not on hand Tired of technical technical tech tech- delays the court properly declared the bond forfeit To d date tc however the money has not been paid into the court and District Attorney At At- torney Rawlings gives notice of his intention to sue the bondsmen Burgess and if there is delay in settlement Here is a case wherein reputable citizens on a public publio highway near Granger were set upon by three men in separate cars Oars the result being the serious wounding of one OIle of the Scurrying from the s scene ene the three were overtaken and arrested Jack J Jersky being being heing be- be ing held on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon After appearance in the city court he was at liberty on Dond fixed at the absurd figure of Without going into the merits of the present pres pres- ent exit case it is easy to see how the straw bond r racket may obstruct justice An accused persOn persOn persOn per- per sOn has a professional bondsman post bond and d then skips out before his case is disposed of In n many many- cases convictions would carry heavy penalties The he accused may believe the simplest way vay out of th the trouble rouble is to stay away and leave the bondsman holding the gack ack ack Then it may turn out that the sack s supposed to contain contain con con- tain thin the bond money money is empty has been mislaid mis mis- laid or lid or there not have been a a. a sack at all Courts too generally take too o much for granted in accepting bonds A bondsman with resources es to cover cover nominal bonds may may have haye posted his guarantees guarantee for many times tho the realizable assets he possesses N Nevertheless verthel ss check is to furnish without a tip up he permitted one bond after another r. r I In a accepting ce ti g them the courts assume the responsibility for releasing accused persons who well may believe it betterto better betterto to forfeit bonds they will not have haye t to cover I themselves s than to take the chance of conviction tion and punishment The he situation in the Jersky case suggests the desirability of or far closer investigation by prosecuting attorneys and courts of the responsibility responsibility of all bondsmen and their ability to meet d demands mands for forfeiture if occasion makes it necessary To permit the straw bond racket to J opera operate in the thc courts without extreme watchfulness may have the same effect as would connivance with criminals to escape trial and punishment I