JUDGE APOLOGISES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3840, 30 November 1936, Page 2

JUDGE APOLOGISES

NEGRO CONFINED IN JAIL ILLEGALLY. Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 16. Federal Judge John D. Martin apologised in the name of the United States yesterday to a negro, Robert Broadie, who had been held in jail without cause for four months through an error of a court attache. “You have been done a great injustice,” Judge Martin told the negro. “I want the district attorney to take up the matter with the United States Attorney-General to see if you cannot receive compensation for your wrongful imprisonment.” Last April, federal agents arrested Mr. Broadie and charged him with operating a still. He was unable to make bond and went to jail. On June 12 a federal jury returned a no-true bill in the case, but through error Mr. Broadie was not released from jail. On July 28, agents arrested Aleck Broady, negro, on the same charge. He was released from jail on making 1000 dollars bond, and on Monday the federal grand jury indicted him. When the case of Aleck Broady came before the court, Robert Broadie stepped forward and entered a plea of guilty. He was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and fined 400 dollars. An attorney learned of the mix-up and went into court with Aleck Broady. He explained the situation and Aleck pleaded guilty. Judge Martin said he was “heartbroken” that Robert Broadie had been wrongfully held, terming the attache’s error “gross negligence.” “But why did you plead guilty?” he asked. “Judge,” replied the negro, “I was tired of sitting in that jail. I wanted to get it over and start serving my sentence and get out. I wasn’t getting nowhere.”