MAGISTRATE'S COURT RETURNS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 302, 31 January 1910, Page 2

MAGISTRATE'S COURT RETURNS

F»U THE PAST YEAR. The I'oiluuing are the returns of business Ua.'iv.-cied during the year at the Stipendiary Magistrate's Court, New Plymouth: CRIMINAL BUSINESS. Under I lass 1, offences against the person, six persons were charged before the court. One was fined for common assault, one case of assault with i»fc«at to rape was dismissed on its merits; one person charged with attempted murder was discharged for want of prosecution, and two persons' with suicidal tendencies were bound over to keep the peace; whilst in one murder charge the accused was committed to the Supreme Court for trial, Under Class ll' are scheduled crimes against the rights of property, and under this heading 27 were arraigned. Seven were up for forging and uttering, and all of them, including a woman, ■were sent to the Supreme Court for trial or sentence. There were two cases of false .pretences', and one was dismissed. Ten males and two females were charged with theft, the latter being convicted. Two cases were dismissed, and three accused were released on probation or as under the Juvenile Offenders' Act. The remainder were convicted. Of the four cases of theft from dwellings, three were proved, as' was the solitary case of theft from the person and one case of wilfully destroying property. Iu Class IIT, crimes affecting the administration of law and justice, there were only four cases, two of these being ship desertion, and the other two breaches of the Marriage Act. In Class IV, offences against revenue laws, there were four cases of acquiring possession of opium, two offenders were fined, and in two other cases tliG prosecution was not proceeded With. Class V embraces offences against good order. Under this' heading there were 79 (five females) charges of drunkenness, of which 18 males and 2 females ■were summarily convicted. Fines were indicted in 19 cases. Five were imprisoned in lieu of fine or surety, and one male ordered peremptory imprisonment. Fifty-six males and 3 females were convicted and discharged with a caution. Orders' were made in six applications for payment of expenses of treatment for drunkenness. There were 25 application; for prohibition orders, and they wore issued in the eases of 22 males and one female. Two men were convicted of indecency, and a man and a woman of disorderly behaviour while drunk. There were 14 charges of procuring liquor while prohibited and all were convicted, as were the two prohibited persons charged with being on licensed premises. One male was convicted of selling liquor without a license, one female of supplying liquor to a Maori woman, and two males of supplying liquor to a_ half-caste for consumption off the premises. One offender was imprisoned for trespassing and refusing fo quit, two were lined for threatening ■behaviour, and three cases of wife desertion were toot proved. There were eight prosecutions of persons found by night on premises, and two females proved to have no visible means of support. Under the railway by-laws two were charged and one convicted of offensive behaviour in a railway carriage, and one lean of joining a train whilst in motion. Ten males and 'five females were before the court under the Lunatics Act, tiie eases' of three men and a woman being dismissed, and orders made concerning the remaining eleven. Class VI, unclassified offences.—Fortylive persons were ctiargeit under trie borough by-laws of various offences. There were three prosecutions or applications under the Destitute Persons (Act, and two under the Infants Act. County by-laws provided 1 case, dynamiting trout 1, delivering cigarettes during closed hours 1, exporting butter with execs.; e moisture 3, failing to send children to school fi, failing to support mother 1, failing to register birth 1, failing to pay wages punctually fi, failing tn make provision for maintenance of -unborn illegal child 1, failing to give notice re cancerous cow 1, failing to separate cancerous cow from other stock 1, feeding swine with unboiled meat 1, prison offences 3. quitting train in motion 1, smoking opium 2, youth having firearms in his' possession 1, and youth using firearms 1. Summarised, the returns show 204 persons (274 males and 3(1 females) taken into custody, summoned or apprehended; 25 (1 female) discharged for '■want of prosecution or want of evijdenee; 17 (2 females) di'smi is'ed on the merits: 14 (1 female) committed for trial or sentence: 122 (15 females) summarily convieled: 101 (12 females) fined; 7 (2 femnle=) imprisoned in lieu of fine or surely: s (I fern;:!,) peremptory imprisonment; no whippings ordered; 4 (2 females) bound over with or without sureties; 5 released under the First Offenders' Probation or Juvenile Offenders Act: 55 orders made (r, females); 70 ((! females) convicted and discharged with a caution. CIVIL BUSINESS. The return of civil business shows that 1110 plaints were entered, and 571 cases tried. The aggregate amount sued for was' £9534 4s Id. and the amount j recovered was £4983 7s sd.