# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 5/25th Congress/3rd Session/Chapter 31

Chap. XXXI.—An Act to amend an act entitled “An act to establish a criminal court in the District of Columbia.”
Act of July, 1838, ch. 192. In case of inability of the judge of the criminal court, from sickness, &c.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That whenever the judge of said criminal court, from sickness, or any other legal cause, shall be unable to hold the said court, he shall give notice thereof to the chief judge of the circuit court of the District of Columbia, who, if not prevented by sickness or other legal cause, on receiving such notice, shall hold the said court during the temporary inability of the judge of the said court; and if the chief judge of the said circuit ​court shall not be able to hold the said criminal court, then the senior assistant judge of the said circuit court shall hold the same.
All writs, &c. to be tested in the name of the judge.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That all writs and process which shall issue from the said court, shall be tested in the name of the judge of the said court.
Powers of the judge.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the judge of the said court shall, out of court, in all criminal matters, and breaches of the peace and good behavior, have and exercise all the powers by law vested in the circuit court of the United States, and the judges thereof, and which were vested by the acts establishing the circuit court of the District of Columbia, and judges of the same.
The judge to take an oath of office, &c.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the judge of the said criminal court shall take the oath of office, provided by law to be taken by the judges of the circuit court of the District of Columbia; and shall have power to make all needful rules of practice for the orderly and speedy administration of the business of the same, as he shall deem expedient, not inconsistent with the laws and Constitution of the United States; and the said court is hereby authorized to provide a seal for the same; and he shall have the same power and authority as is exercised by the judges of the circuit court of the District of Columbia, to require bail in all cases when by law bail may be required.
In order to prevent delay, &c.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, In order to prevent the delay and long confinement in the jails of said district, of prisoners sentenced to be executed, or to the penitentiary, when the party claims the right to have the sentence suspended, to give an opportunity of applying for a writ of error:Writs of error to be returned, &c. Be it enacted, That all writs of error which may be granted to the judgment of the criminal court of either county, shall be returned to the circuit court which may be in session, or to the next circuit court which may be held at the stated times fixed by law for the meeting of the same;Such part of sec. 5th of the former act as is inconsistent with this, repealed. and that so much of the fifth section of the act establishing the criminal court as requires the writ of error to be returned to the circuit court of the county in which said judgment may be rendered, be, and the same is hereby repealed. The judgment of the circuit court shall be certified to the clerk of the criminal court, and preserved among the original papers in the case.
Days on which the criminal court for Washington county shall be held. Process in Washington county.Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the said criminal court for Washington county, in said District, shall hereafter commence and be held on the last Monday in December and on the second Monday in March and the fourth Monday of October, instead of the first Monday in December and the first Monday in March and the first Monday of September, the days now fixed by law for holding three of the terms of said court. All process whatsoever now issued, or which may be issued in the county of Washington, in said District, returnable to the days now fixed by law for said county, shall be returnable and returned on the days prescribed by this statute.
Adjournment of the court, &c.Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That if, after the said court shall have commenced its session, the judge should be taken sick, so as not to be able to continue the session of the court from day to day until the business of the term is disposed of, it shall be lawful for him, or in his absence for the clerk of the said court to adjourn the same from day to day or week to week until such time as he shall be able to attend to the business of the said court, when the same shall be resumed as if the session had not been interrupted. But if the sickness of the said judge shall continue longer than the space of one month, then the chief judge of the circuit court of the District of Columbia shall hold the said court and continue the session; and if the said chief judge shall be unable from sickness or other disability to hold the said court, then the senior assistant judge of the said circuit court shall hold the same.
Cases wherein any of the parties are related to the judge.Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That in any case wherein the ​parties or any of them may be related to the said judge of the criminal court, then such case and the record thereof may be sent to the next circuit court of the District of Columbia for the county in which the said case shall have arisen, to be there tried and determined, and sentence passed and executed, as if this act and the act to which this is supplemental had never been passed.
All cases, &c. which were pending in Washington co. revived, &c.Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That all causes, indictments, writs, process, and proceedings which were pending in the criminal court of the District of Columbia for the county of Washington, at the time appointed by law for holding a session thereof, on the first Monday of December last past, or which were returnable to the session of said court which ought to have been holden on said first Monday of December, shall be, and the same are hereby, revived, reinstated, and continued over to the next stated session of said court for said county, to be holden on the second Monday of March next, in the same manner and condition, and the same further proceedings may be had therein as if a session of the said court had been held, according to law, on the said first Monday of December, and as if a regular continuance of all said causes, indictments, writs, process, and proceedings, had been duly entered upon the records of the said court.
Approved, February 20, 1839.