[QUOTE=Mark R;207339]
Quote Originally Posted by Lord Dick View Post

That doesn't surprise at all Lord Dick...There were two prosecuting solicitors at the Magistrates Court that presided over the Wallace Committal Proceedings. Firstly, Richard Joseph Ward (who was getting on in years and not used to the case of murder). The second was Stuart Deacon, who was a more liberal minded man, but as you say, a lot of them believed that if a person was brought before the magistrates, they must be guilty...

A Bit confused here Mark. You mentioned Stuart Deacon as a "prosecuting solicitor". But wasn't he the Stipendiary magistrate before Arthur McFarland? If so, then stipendiarys were not Committal magistrates, nor where they prosecuting in the then "Police Courts". Also, didn't Mr justice Wright lapse into mental illness after the Wallace case?