HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1970-05-21, Page 4PAGE FOUR
Doesn't Appear lair !
( an editorial from the Exeter Times -Advocate)
The system of justice throughout this country is
often critized by many people, primarily because the
punishments handed out do not always appear to bear
any sensible relationship.
To form an opinion on the cases on the basis of the
limited information supplied by the news media or streett
talk adds to the problem. Without the background infor-
mation and the record of the accused person, it is fool-
hardy to attempt an expression of opinion regarding the
various penalties.
In recent court sessions, a youth from this area was
sentenced to nine months in reformatory for the theft of
liquor from an area outlet. This penalty appears stiff
indeed in relation to the comparatively light fines hand-
ed out to some drivers who have been involved in fatal
accidents.
No doubt the presiding judge based his opinion on the
record of the people involved in the various incidents
and was of the opinion the youth who committed the
thefts needed some correctional training.
On the other hand, a driver responsible in a fatal
accident probably was not driving any worse than the
hundreds of others involved in accidents in which there
are no fatalities.
The cause of the crash, of course, must be consid-
ered as well as the effect.
Two persons may be charged with careless driving.
Each may have fallen asleep at the wheel and careened
into the ditch. In one instance, no one may be injured,
and in the other a person may be killed. But should the
penalties for the act be different.
There will be differences of opinion on that question
and even among the men who make the decisions in the
courts of law. As long as humans are involved in the
decisions, there will always appear to be contradictions
in the penalties handed out.
However, one disturbing aspect of the court system
is the prevalence of charges being dropped or reduced,
particularly when an accused person decides to contest
his case.
Too often the Crown appears ready to take a guilty
plea on a lesser charge as opposed to fighting the case
on the more severe charge.
An area youth appeared in Exeter court last week,
facing three counts. They were impaired driving, driv-
ing while over 80 mgs., and careless driving.
Through his defence lawyer, he ended up pleading
guilty to careless driving and the two more serious
charges were withdrawn.
Another person faced five charges arisingfrom one
incident and he pleaded. guilty, through his awyer, to
two of the charges. Again, the most serious charge was
withdrawn.
It's difficult to argue the pros and cons of this situat-
ion because the facts of a case are different from any
other.
Is it a matter of laying a number of charges in the
hope that the accused will become frightened at the
aspect of a severe penalty and readily plead guilty to
one of a more minor nature?
Or, is it a situation in which the members of the
legal profession cut down on the amount of work for
each other?
Or perhaps, our court dockets are so filled that it's
necessary to avoid lengthy contested cases where pleas
on lesser courts can speed things up. If that is the case,
the system should be scrutinized with the thought of
adding more staff.
In the case regarding the driving while over 80 mgs.
it appears strange that this would not be held over until
the legality of the breathalizer tests are known.
Unlike many charges which are laid upon the basis
of a human decision, such a charge is based on scientif-
ic evidence and appears most difficult to defend against,
Why then, would the Crown not be prepared to
contest this charge rather than accept a plea of guilty
on a lesser charge of careless driving?
Many other persons have appeared in court on charglis
of driving while over 80 mgs. and to our recollection,
none of diem have had the opportunity to plead guilty
to a lesser charge of careless driving.
It may be more than coincidence that few of them
have been represented in court by lawyers either.
This aspect of justice does not appear fair, and it
is quite prevalent in Huron County.
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ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS
A life of troubles
This may be cheating, but
somebody else is going to
write my column this week. I
received a 12 -page letter from
a Prairie wife that made me
sick of my own petty whining.
With a minimum of editing,
and changing only names, here
it is.
"Dear Smiley: We've read
your column for a long time.
I enjoy it. When you told of
your daughter's illness, I
wasn't able to read the column
because my husband was seri-
ously ill with cancer of the
lung. I was with him most of
the time. I read the one later
where you thanked everyone
for their prayers .. .
"Anyway, I wanted to tell
you how so many people
prayed for my poor husband.
He died March 9th. I really
believe all the prayers helped
him accept it. He got pneumo-
nia suddenly, had the last
rites, went into a coma and
died. He was quite thin, but
could have lived down to skin
and bones, because he had a
strong heart, and was only
51.
"He was taken prisoner at
Dieppe. The first year they had
their hands tied. When the
Russians began getting closer,
they (the Germans) moved
them on boxcars and on foot,
with very little food. He once
said he thought he should al-
ways carry a piece of bread in
his pocket the rest of his days
so he'd never have to go hun-
gry again. (Ed. note: Me too.)
"He came home in '45 and
quite a few of his chums died
of lung conditions soon after
the war. Anyway, his nerves
were really bad, and with
trying to farm and father four
boys he was an alcoholic for
six years.
Then he went to an A. A.
centre. It was terribly hard on
him, but he quit for six years.
Then he ended up with cancer.
"He used to tell of all the
close calls he had had as a
prisoner. Then, one day, he
was riding a tractor, standing
up and looking for a new calf.
The big wheel hit a hole and
then another, and threw him
over the front and the tractor
ran over him.
"It broke his right hip and
his pelvic bones. He turned
over on his stomach and
crawled a quarter -mile to the
road. He had our faithful dog
with him and sent him for
help. The dog came back and
licked his face, and Jack told
him again to get help. He went
south to the edge of some
neighbor's trees and barked
and barked. The farmer was
just going with his tractor to
work again after supper. He
told his wife, who thought it
was a coyote, that it was Jack's
FOCUS:
One Moment of Time
Our camera records a child's
First Smile . . . makes an
official report on the bride's
radiance . .
Commemorates a trio posed
for Dad's birthday surprise.
Moments like these can never bo
recaptured unless they are per-
fectly preserved by HADDEN'S
STUDIO.
Your family's pictorial history
should be in qualified hands.
Contact
dog and something must be
wrong.
"When he saw Jack lying
there on the road, he thought
it was a clump of old rags.
Anyway, Jack told us how he
prayed and thanked God for
the neighbor paying attention
to the dog.
"In the hospital, the doctor
operated on his bladder. The
pelvic bones had busted
through, and the blood was
taking urine all through his
system.
"Our neighbors had a bee
for him and put the crop in.
He got home on crutches. That
fall, our crop got hailed out. So
he sure had his hard knocks in
life as well as close calls.
"He used to talk about his
accidents so he could say, `I'll
likely die a mean death.'
"So when he found out it
was cancer in his lung, he
seemed to expect it. He had his
operation, and lost his voice all
summer and got really thin.
Then he gained weight up to
147 pounds and got his voice
back, with all our prayers.
(But, to summarize, large
lump on neck going to brain;
loss of control of right hand,
burning bedclothes when ciga-
rette dropped; mixed up men-
tally.)
"So I think the prayers
helped him to come to his
death sooner than he could
have. He felt very bad about
being a prisoner and being
through so much and people
didn't appreciate what they
went through to save our coun-
try for us. He was very sad
about Vietnam.
"He would just cry when
he'd see the Bob Hope show at
Christmas, all those young
boys going through so much
and the big -shots making mil-
THURSDAY, MAY 2L 1970
Carrne Women
Pian Activities
Women's Missionary Society
senior group meeting was held
at Carmel Presbyterian church
with president, Mrs, R, A. Orr
opening the meeting by reading
the Hymn, "Christ is the Lord, "
which was sung at the Synodical
in Paris last April.
Study and devotional was giv-
en by Mrs. Harry Snell and Mrs.
Grace McEwen, and those part-
icipating with the program were
Mrs. Pearl Love, Mrs. Harold
Bell, and Mrs, Clarence Volland.
Sylvia Bell, daughter of Ivlrs.
Harold Bell, played the piano
solo very nicely.
Mrs. Orr gave the Synodical
report, as she was the delegate
for both the evening and afternoor
W.M.S.
Preparations were being made
for the 80th anniversary of the
W . M. S. Seniors and the 40th
for the Arnold Circle W , M . S ,
for June 8, at 8:15 p.m., with
a guest speaker, Mrs. John B.
Fox, of London, and guests are
invited from Huron Presbyterial,
Exeter and Cromarty.
Members made their contrib-
ution with a prayer to the box of
the least coin. Several volunteer-
ed to help with the craft work in
September at Queensway Nursing
home.
Mrs. Gordon Schwalm was ap-
pointed as the first vice-president
which was left vacant by Mrs.
George Waly due to her ill health.
A thank -you letter was read
from Mrs. Fulton of London, for
the lovely knitted shirts that sev-
eral members and Home Helpers
knitted for the under -privileged
children of overseas.
Meeting was closed and was
followed with the Ladies Aid,
with President, Mrs. Clarence
Volland, and Mrs. Harry Snell
as secretary. Several items of
interest were discussed during the
business session.
lions on their deaths and crip-
pled lives.
"Thanks, Smiley, for listen-
ing. I have four boys."
Rest in peace, old kriegie. Be
of good faith, noble woman. Be
good to her, four boys.
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