Daily Republican., 1881-12-29
Judicial Reform Needed.

Judicial Reform Needed.
Ifjustice to the people of New Castl'
County would still continue to be sub
served, there must be q change in TIN
judicial branch of the State Govern
ment. For counties with Nm ordinary
population like Kent and Sussex, tn,
present system of holding courts an
swers every purpose, and justice is
administered as promptly, honestly and
impartislly as in the early days of the
Constitution, when the population OF
the whole State scarcely equaled the
population of one of the lower counties
now. But for county like New Castle,
which contains larger population
than the two lower counties combined
and with city in one end Oft growing
into metropolitan proportions, the pres
ent system of holding courts has be-
come etfete and actually injurious to
the best interests of the county. The
cause for this is not in the lack of ability
honesty and purity Of the Judges of the
court, but is found in the great increase
Of population, which, according to nat e
nral sequences, begets increased crime
and Increased litigation which only
courts of justice can settle.
1t is no secret that tho late term Of
court, though the longest of which We
have any record in Delaware, ad journed
befOre the business for which it met
was anything like finished. Cases
which have !. been before the court for
two and three terms could not he
reached for want --of time, and even
when reached there was no time in
which to try them. Numbers of wit
nesses have been in attendance court
after court, hsaping up,piles Of costs in
witness fees, which somebody will have
to pay-fees which in many instances
will exceed the amount in litigation.
This is not the worst. The sit,ings of
the onl y court We have, have become so
and tedious that every
available excuse will be made before
witnesses will leave their FARMS count. |
ing houses, stores and places of busi |
ness to attend court. But they must |
either attend or be subject to an al
tachment for which they are not only |
made to pay the costs, but in many in |
stances fine for contempt of court be |
sides. If men could leave their ploughs,
their workshops and counters with the |
certainty that they would only be
needed two or three days, there would
not be that dread of court summons,
either rs a juror or a witness as nogex.
lists. AS the case now stands nobody !
wants to be empaneled as a juror, who |
is engaged in business, while if the
court lasted couple Of weeks, as in Kent |
and Sussex, business men, farmers and |
nee anics would look upon a weeks
service as a juror, as a weeks relaxa
tion from business The great 1ush o:
business in our court and the limited
time in which court cln be held, mill
tates against the administration Of JUS
tice and in the case of granting license
to hotel and saloon keepers, caused VIC
lations of the law for which punish
ments are provided. The time for
which licenses were granted expired a
week or more before the adjournment
)i the court, an the keepers of such
places had either to slut up their bar,
'r sell without license, presuming that
It would be all right in the end and
hat such Il violation was really mol
preach of the law under the circum.
stances.
I'd come to the point: New Castle
county neels more courts, or con.
lnuous court in which one Judge only
would be required-smilar t, the
United States District Court. All lC
usstions of a civil or criminal charsc-
er could be tried before ons ju lge as =
veil as three .jGd yes, but there should /
10 court of appeal to fall back upon, /
mich might .bs composed of all the
ther judges who did not sit on the l.
ase. This or any other course proposed t
nil require legislation, and as it can /
My be effected by constitut ionall :
mendment, passed upon by two L4gis i
atoms, The question should be promi. n
emily brought before the people and .
lade an issue at the polls. We do not "
70 how it is possible that any body who .
ss experienced the vexatious delays liz =
nr present court, could oppose change '
~ as that change would only be in u u
'rded TO eject New Castle'County, the le
9ople Of Kent and Sussex could not u
'lsisteltly object to the proposed ~,
mango. The Ion er toe delay in max ".
lg the change, tie worse it will be for "
le cause of jus ice il New Castle
ounty. Wilmington ready contains
population of $4,000 and in another Ia
9caue IN the same ratio, it. will reach | <,
',Vo! Crime is increasing fast ar than
le population, and if more facilries
9 not provided for the admit, ,trationI
Justice SOON, the future will be- a dark
~ for our city.
- s-nN-e-----...g In
"A GENTLEMAN informs rs trat attlrl
aiding through the mud kr,ee deer he