The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1876-11-04
Parish Courts.

abOnt to be submitted to the suf>
frages OF the people, the scope OF
which is to effect a radical change
in our judicial system. 1t is popa-
larry supposed to abolish parish
courts and with that impression
in their minds, some OF our people
may be in favor of the amends
ment in question. They want econ
omy and they reason correctly
that the surest path to economy
and reform lies in the abrogatpn
of laws which create useless and
expensive Offices. But let US exa-
mine if the amendment proposed
will really abolish a useless Office
and be a saving to the good peo>
pie of the State. Ii we can succeed
in showing that neither of these
objects will be attained by adop-
ting the amendment in question,
wetake it that no one will hesitate
to vote for its rejection.
Now, what does the amend
.nent propose to do 7 1t proposes
Lotto abrogate the judicial
power heretofore vested in parish
courts.
2o-To invest the District
Courts outside of New Orleans
with jurisdiction original and ex>
elusive over all sums above one
hundred dollars, and also unlimi
ted criminal and probate jurisdlc.
ton.
3o-To reduce the salary Of Dis
trict Judge to four thousand dol
lars per annnm.
4o-To confer upon justices of
the peace the jurisdiction in crimi
nal matters now exercised by par
ish courts, aud the right Of pass
ing upon all cases under fifty dol
lars without appeal.
SOTO grant power to clerks of
court to issue conservatory writs
such a. arrest, attachment, injunc
ton, etc, to probate wills, ap-
point administrators, homo!ogate
tableaux when no opposition is
filed. land to exercise various other
judicial powers.
Now, will the Office of parish
Judge be abolished, should this
amendment meet with a majority
OF votes at the coming election !
In our opinion, it is very doubts
ful. to say the least,that such will
be the effect of the amendment,
The opening sentence of said
amendment is Ill these words
"The judicial powers heretofore
vested III parish courts are here
10y abrogated and withdrawn"
Whatever may have been the
intention of the law>maker, it is
certain that this sentence does
not abolish the Office Of parish
. Judge, 1t simply extends to the
withdrawal of the judicial power
heretofore exercised by them. Ii
> other words, it makes Il sinecurt
of the Office, and we will have il
this State the spectacle of fifty
six judges without judicial antho'
t lty of any kind, aud yet drawing
!. their salary regularly every quar-
: ter. We submit, that this is NJ
t fanciful or strained construction
t of the amendment, but it is out
which the language of the amem(
ment fully sustains, as any ont
r can see for himself.
r Admitting for the sake of argr
e ment that parish courts will b.
abolished, what is proposed to b.
done with the jurisdiction the,
8 now exercise ? Under this amend
ment, the district courts woult
have exclusive jurisdiction in al
b cases when the amOant in dispute
d exceeds one hundred dollars an,
= appellate jurisdiction from jus
tees courts when the amount in
II v0lved exceeds Fifty Dollar
o They would have, besides
unlimited criminal and probate
jurisdiction. In other words, dis
# tricl judges would have twice a
!. much to do as they now have
Al Under the present system, tn
d district court holds but two term
d year of one month each in GU
Is parish. Every lawyer knows b,
experience, how difficult it is t
try even the simplest cases in tn
"a short time allotted for the tern
v OF the District Court. Litigant
- often compromise their jus
f claims for fifty, and sometime
=. twenty-five cents Oh the dollar
rather than endure the claws dc
Is lay The way in which Distric
Courts are conducted, amount
in many instances, to Il practices
denial of justice. These Court
)" are already overburdene'
- with business in view OF til
brevlty of their terms and til
:, long interval between them. AN
II yet, this amendment proposes I
= burden these very conrts Wit