In a shocking revelation, the Limerick court witnessed an unprecedented incident involving inebriated jury members. The trial proceedings against Nicholas Brown came to a sudden halt after it was discovered that one of the jurors was under the influence of alcohol. The judge strongly rebuked the intoxicated juror and instructed him to attend court the following day to face potential contempt charges.

Subsequently, another case involving Owen Neil under the Inebriates Act also faced delays when the accused failed to appear in court. Mr Leahy, the Crown Solicitor, expressed concern over the difficulty in gathering a sufficient number of sober jurors that evening, and suggested postponing the trial until the next day.

Judge Adams agreed with the postponement and expressed his disappointment at the scandalous behavior of the jurors. He emphasized that the majority of the Grand Jurors came from the respectable farming class and that their inebriation in court was unacceptable. He further lamented that regardless of the laws implemented for Ireland, the country would continue to suffer as long as such disgraceful incidents occurred.

Mr Leahy then revealed that he had been informed by the police sergeant in charge of the court that three of the jurors had been arrested that evening for drunkenness. This revelation underscores the urgent need for measures to prevent such dishonourable conduct among those entrusted with critical responsibilities in the judicial process.

Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 05 January 1903