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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

This day in history: Spokane County budget woes grew; prosecutor alleged jury tampering by booze interests

Jim Kershner The Spokesman-Review

From 1975: The chief economist for Pacific Northwest Bell told business leaders that Spokane’s recession was “mild” compared to the nation at large. He said Spokane was “escaping lightly” because of its relatively few factory jobs.

It probably didn’t seem “light” or “mild” to 37 employees of the Spokane County engineering department, who were told they would have to take a mandatory two-week layoff in an attempt to balance the county budget. Cutbacks in other departments were expected to follow.

There were also bitter feelings in Spokane’s city departments because top fire and police officials were given a 16.8% pay raise, yet the raises for the city’s managerial and professional employees were between 2% and 4% , far below the inflation rate.

A city councilman admitted that it was “an ironic situation.”

From 1925: Prosecutor Charles Leavy, stung by a series of losses in trials against “jointists” (operators of bootleg joints), suggested that liquor interests were committing jury tampering.

He said that “liquor interests have mingled with the jurors” while they were in the corridors of the courthouse awaiting to be assigned to cases.

“Jurors have been met in a cordial way, with some one employed by liquor interests to greet them in the hall and shake hands,” Leavy said.

Leavy asked permission to grill the jurors about such approaches. The judge denied his request.

This was the last in a series of jointist trials, and so far none had resulted in conviction.