The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-22
THE JUDICIARY DEPARTMENT.
Judge Theard's Plan.

To the Editor Of the Democrat:
This Is the best plan have seen, yet / venture
to offer few amendments. or suggestion OF
amendment:
1. As the appellate jurisdiction is confined to
questions OF law alone. rs Is the case in every
State In the Union, except as to those cases
called equity suits there is no need to fix the
limit of jurisdiction to the amount Of $500. The
labor. when questions OF law alone are to be
considered. would be 30 curtailed that there
would actually be no necessity for any limit.
Restore them to the old limit Of $780,
Q. Again. for the same reasons. there would
be no necessity Of six judges nor for two sec
tons. Five judges. sitting together. could b ar
and decide every question OF law that could be
brought before them.
8. 1t would facilitate business to have the court
sit permanently at the capital OF the State. or
at New Orleans. from the first Monday of No.
vember to the third Of July; and let each case
as it is brought up from the country courts take
Its turn. giving discretionary power to the
Supreme Court to2advance cases on the docket
In the spirit Of accommodation. as the interest
Of justice might require.
4 The change as to the amount OF iurisdic-
ton. from $500 to $500. should be also made III
the parish courts. There might also Be added
a clause. ling the salaries and expenses OF
parish courts payable By the parishes. the
Legislature fixing the grade of S laries to cor
respond with the size ofthe parishes The same
rule as to pay to apply to the several courts In
the parish of Orleans: the idea b Ing to bring
the expenses OF the government, tcluding that
OF the judiciary. home to the sever parishes.
8. Az arranged in Judge Thea"d's projet,
there would be no necessity for more than
three civil courts Ia New Orleans. & Wing to the
city courts, as proposed by him, jul sdi ;tion OF
all cas Q. up, to $500. or whatever N ght be the
IiOnif vith mr. 6ar
$780, and with right of appeal In all cases over
500 to any one Of the three civil COZ rts
8 JUICES OF The Supreme Court should be at
least hirty five years OF age instead OF thirty.
and have pracltced law at least sey. years in
years, and have practical law at least five years:
the presiding city Judges be at least twenty
five years Of age, and have practtced law at
least three y. ars: the associate justices OF the
parish. criminal or probate courts to have the
same qualif alton as the presiding Justices of
the city courts; the associate justi es of the
city courts to be at least twenty-five years of
age and a licensed attorney. There should be
more age and experience than is provided for
by Judge Theard..
Z. The fees OF all courts, except tn at of the
Supreme Court, to be paid into the treas ury of
the parish, and that of the Supreme Court into
the State treasury, and all funds thus collected
and paid In to be held. as far as may be neces-
sary. to pay the salaries Of Judges and all other
officers Of the several courts and the expenses
thereof
8. The district attorneys should be elected By
the people. This. on the principle that tho
=. the filling of vacancies. except Of the judi
ciary itself and the clerks. ETC., OF his own Of
fee; remitting the choice of all officers except
judges to the people OF the immediate commu-
shall seek their pay from the same community.
JUDICIARY.