STRANGE CASE OF A GRAND JURY'S MISTAKE
(From the Home News, September 24.)
The Grand Jury empanelled at the sitting of the (London) Central Criminal Court last week appear to have made a serious mistake, and one which, if not unprecedented, is certainly not frequent. They agreed to ignore the bill against a certain prisoner named John Creek, and the foreman was suprised to find by the newspapers that that prisoner was tried, convicted, and sentenced to 10 years' penal servitude. On making a statement to that effect on September 21 in court, Mr. Justice Willes directed the bill to be referred to, and it was found distinctly marked "a true bill," instead of "no true bill." As the proceedings were all regular and formal the court had no power to reverse them ; and the only thing that could be done would be to memorialise the Home Secretary. As, however, grand juries are always instructed by the judges that their duties are merely to see if there be prima facie a sufficient case to warrant prisoners being put upon trial, it is evident that in this case to ignore the bill was an error, since the petit jury, assisted by the judge and learned counsel on both sides, found that the evidence was sufficient to prove the prisoner's guilt.
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Bibliographic details
Colonist, Volume X, Issue 956, 23 November 1866, Page 3
Word Count
219
STRANGE CASE OF A GRAND JURY'S MISTAKE
Colonist, Volume X, Issue 956, 23 November 1866, Page 3
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