Ham Sandwich (31 January 1985)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   From the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, 31 January 1985, pg. 3:

_New top state judge: Abolish_
_grand juries & let us decide_
By MARCIA KRAMER
and FRANK LOMBARDI
   IN A BID to make prosecutors more accountable for their actions, Chief Judge Sol Wachtler has proposed that the state scrap the grand jury system of bringing criminal indictments.
   Wachtler, who became the state's top judge earlier this month, said district attorneys now have so much influence on grand juries that "by and large" they could get them to "indict a ham sandwich."

   From pg. 46:

_New York State's top judge speaks out_
_DAILY NEWS_
_NewsMaker_
_Chief Judge Sol Wachtler_
   Sol Wachtler, newly appointed chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals, was questioned at a Daily News NewsMaker lunch this week.  (What did Sol eat??--ed.)  Following are excerpts from his discussion with senior Daily News news executives and members of the editorial board and news staff.
(...)
(Col. 3--ed.)
A: (...)  Along with that, we must rationalize the appellate process.  In New York, if a trial judge sneezes, a lawyer can go up to the Appellate Division.
(Col. 4--ed.)
Q:  And the death penalty?
A:  I referred to it in a speech once as being the chicken soup of politics--it can't hurt.