The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1880-04-17

Office Of Judges of district courts, Judge
Of circuit courts Of appeal, district al
ltorneys. clerks Of district courts, shcr
IFS, coroners, Justices of the pence, an'
other pxrochial, municipal and war
officers, on account Of official inccm
Ipetency, in accordance with the mes
constitutional provisions for such re
noyals. The constitutional causes 70
removal from Office are high crime
and misdemcanors, nonfeasance or NAL
Ifeasancc in Office, ineompetency, cor
Eruption, fayoritism, extortion or op
|pression in office, gross misconduct o.
Ihabitual drunkenness.
i Suits for removal from office of dis
trict and circnit court judges are to be
instituted before the Supreme Court
on the petition of the Attorney Gen
ersd, or of district attorney, Joined
lby fifty or more citizens and taxpayers
Of the district to be affected, whose
names must be set forth in such petit
lfion. The Supreme Court has original
jurisdiction Of such suits, and themode
of trial, summonipg and examining
witnesses, argument, etc, is the same
as for trial of any ordinary suit in the
district court. The citizens and tax
payers, who join in the petition fcr-re-
moYal, have the tight, exclusively at
Ithcire own cost, 70 eaa.i,.e, siesilissa. to
assist the Attorney General, or district
attorney, in the prosecution Of the suit.
When the alleged incompctcncy of the
defendant judge for want of sufficient
learning, or mental incapacity, is at is
sue, the Court, on its own motion, or
on motion of any party to the suit, or
of any person at whose request it has
been instituted, shall have power to
cause the defendant judge toappearin
person before the Court, in open ses-
sion, there and then TO answer any per
tinent questions which may be put to
him. No jury trial is allowed. The
trial Is 10 be summary, but so arranged
as not 10 interfere with asession Of the
defendant judges court. Motions for
new trials may beinade b. either party,
but if not made, or if oyerrnicd, the
Judgment of the Supreme Court, signed,
becomes executory. The defendant
judge is to pay the costs Of suit if judg7
ment is rendered against him; if in his
favor, the judgment will condemn the
citizens and taxpayers N soiido to pay
the costs, wlsojoincd in the petition
for removal.
Suits for.remoyal from Office of dis
trict attorneys, clerks of district courts,
sheriffs, etc, shall be instituted, by pc
tition, before the district court of the
defendants domieiIe, by the district
attorney, texcept when brought against
himself, when it shall be instituted BY
the district attorney Of an adjoining
district, or by counsel appointed by the
eeurt on the written request and in
formation of twenty-five or more resi-
dent citizens and taxpayers, Tor Of ten
such citizens and taxpayers in case Of
snitsagainst ward officers whose names
must be set forth 10 the petition. Such
citizens shall have the right, at their
own cost, Of employing council 10 as
sist in the prosecution of such suits.
The law provides HThst in ali cases in
stituted to remove an officer on the
ground Of his iDcompeiency, arising ont
Of his want Of the knowledge necessary
TO enable him to perform the duties Of
his Office, oreof any mental ineapacity
unftting him for the Office, the court
may, on its own motion, Or on that of
any party to- the suit, cause The defend
ant 10 come before il, in person and in
open session, 10 answer any pertinent
question which may be addressed 70
him; as each question is put to him the
/ clerk shall writesit down and number
Il, and as each is put the defendant
shall, with his OWN hand, write on a
sepsrate paper his answer. and number
|itto correspond with the number Of
THE question, and this without being
|pernitted 70 leave the presence Of the
court. erfo have recourse to the assist
ance Of any Persop, book, paper Or
nenerandum whatsoever; il defendant
be unable to write, The cause Of his IN
ability shall 30 stated By him, under
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