Show THE FRENCH COURTS 0 sometimes think ahat alic course pursued by judges in utah is outrageous that pin tiled by judges any ft hero else in sic A samly of alic proceedings of I 1 cli judges will convince one is not alic case n much to deplore he action of conns here at iiii instructive to note the olt dalion in france alic following fol louing is from the youth s CW pa ii ions 1 A judge presiding over onu of tho paris courts was recently removed from liis for two very curious appears that after examining a witness to dine with linn at a neighboring restaurant plying him there with wine alic judge put a number of questions to his guest and having drawn out of libin certain damaging fads forthwith caused liim to be his other offense offence was stilt more flagrant lie talked through a telephone a witness pretending that he alic judge was one of persons accused in court and so led the witness to betray himself and his accused friend it is no wonder after conduct so unbecoming n judge be was unlit any longer to bold the even scales of justice f although this judge was thus rightfully punished his conduct suggests to usi the wido contrast which exists between the french courts of justice and method of legal procedure and those of the united slates and england the system indeed is different in the two cases our judges havo s distinct and dignified duty to perform and as a rule they maintain as do the english judges a lofty and impartial altitude in presiding over trials they remain for alio llio most part silent until they have to decide points of law or until one of the counsel requires correction after the arguments have closed it is duty to adl ress the jury explain the points at issue call for the verdict and deliver the judgment or sentence the french judge on alic hand takes constant and active part in the trail itself lie questions not only witnesses but the prisoner himself and often subjects alic prisoner and searching cross cx trying to imp liim into damaging confessions contradicting him and even sometimes cracking jokes at alic prisoners expense ivhon a witness has mada a certain statement the fionch judge will turn lo 10 the prisoner and tartly ask him what he has to say to that A prisoner on trial in a french in short is and worried from the beginning lo 10 alic end of alic case by bolli judge and pro curcur alic pro curcur is an who acts in france as public prosecutor grand jury and adviser of judge in one the fact that in the french courts the judge is one of the active participants in the trials gives n dramatic color to jhc thc proceedings which is usually absent from our own courts the dialogues between judge and prisoner arc watched with keen interest and often ernp by alic crowd of spectators for sometimes judge and prisoner engage in a duel of wit and banter but from the american point 0 view this mcleod of seeking to find out alic truth anil tu dispense justice seems far less tos ay nothing of its surprising lack 0 dignity than that which prevails in our jovn couch the french judge often browbeats or angers the prisoner aiuto making rash answers hichi increase alic chanat of liis conviction even though he may be really innocent with u the prisoner is amply in every right of defence fie is supposed to be innocent until proved by proper jud legal evidence to be guilty whereas in france the judge often seems to s vt out his questioning of the pris oner asif alic presumed to be guilty and aa if alie burden of proof were on him to proc himself innocent |