The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1878-01-26
The judiciary.

,tStCu III CcIiACNtAou 1U
in our present judiciary
system. No two plans seem to
agree. We will now propose one
we think may tend to bar.
monizc all differences of opinion
on the subject, as our plan COM
bines what is best in every change
is proposed.
We would do no violence to
the traditions which cluster
around the present nomenclature
of our courts, which has become
familiar to the people. We
would therefore have the Judicia-
ry Department to consist OF a
Supreme Court, of District
Courts, Parish Courts aud JUS
tees OF the Peace.
To begin at the bottom OF the
ladder and then ascend. We
would leave the Jurisdiction OF
Justices of the Peace unchanged,
bat limit the number of Justices
in a Parish to five as a maxi
mum. We would require them
however, to pass an examination
before the Parish Judge and that
a commission should issue to
them only upon his certificate
that he had found them to
be competent to fulfill the duties
of the Office. Members of the bar
are compelled to pass a strict
double examination, and produce
IA certificate from some respecta-
bic attorney showing two years
study in a law Office, before they
are admitted to practise their
profession. Why should not some
test of qualification be required
of an officer whose duty it is to
decide causes presented by at
torneys +? Again, Notaries Public
must pass an examination before
they are allowed to act as such.
Does it not look like All unfair
discrimination against these two
professions when an examination
of candidates for them is exacted
before they candischargetheir pro
tessl0nal auties, and when no ex-
animation is required ola candi
date for Judicial functions BY
making the change we have in
dictated, the Office Of Justice of
the Peace wonld become what il
should be, a position of honor in-
stead OF being what it now is, a
by,-wOrd of %reprOach.
We have already had occasion
to express our views fully in these
columns OH the subject of Parish
Judges. We are in favor of retain
lug the Office, but of making it
open only to lawyers who shall
have practised law two years at
least, in the State. We would EN-.
large their jurisdiction SO AS to
make it embrace cases where the
amount in dispute shall be un.
der one Thousand dollars, and we
would vest them with criminal
jurisdiction where the. punish
ment is not over one years i'm
priSonmel,t at hard labor in the
peniteh1ary, giving them in such
cases the right of snmmoning a
jury from the vicinage. The right
Ofappeal could be guaranteed to Il
party aggrieved wheretheamonnt
was Overcome hundred dollars. We
would have the term of Office fix
ed at -four years and the salary
at two thousan. dollars per an.
rum.
District Judges should have
The same qualifications which
are aow required of them, but
heir salary should be reduced
to three thousand dollars and
their term of Office extended tr
six years. Their original civil ju.
risdiction should begin where
that of the Parish Court, ended.
aud he unlimited over thai
amount. The districts should be
so distributed as to insure al
least three terms, OF the Distric,
Court in each Parish during the
year. This would remedy a CRY;
ing evil of which the people now
complain, and with reason. The
constitution provides that courts
shall always be open for the re
dress of grievances. Aud yet, il
the amount in CONDENSATION hap
pens to he above five hundred
dollars, there is no opportunity
for the matter to be tried, except
once in every six months. This
amounts to a practical denial Of
Justice. Is it any wonder that &C
MANY persons prefer to lose al
rather than go to litigation I l
each district were composed b
sdy, three Parishes, a Judge
could easily hold three terms q
year in each parish of his district
and have three months to spare
Some of the suggestions we hav,
presented above VOnld npcpSs