The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-12-16
PETTY CASES IN COURT.
soHE SOUND SENSE FROM JUDGE DEAN {
THIS GRBAT AND GROWING EVIL

THIS GRBAT AND GROWING EVIL.
On Tuesday of last week, the first week Of
Court, Judge Dean, before passing sentence
in trivial case of assault and battery in
which the jury found the accused not guilty
but divided the costs eqnally between the
prosecutor and the defendant, referred to
the fact that the time of the Court had been
occupied for eight hours in trying three un-
important cases, in each of which the same
verdict had been rendered, and then drew
the following sensible conclutions for the
beneht Of Justices of the Peace here and else
where. as we find them reported in the Johns
town Tribune. His Honor said
In the first case tried the costs. $50 90 were i'm
pOseq ehai on the prosecutor and the other half
on the defendant In the next case the costs.
amounting to S4O-57. were disposed Of in similar
manner; In this case the costs are $40 90 making
IN the three cases sl4s 50 OF costs imposed the
cases have found that there nothing in any of
temper and bad conduct deserving Ofcensure there
mas undoubtedly been. but nothing deserving the
penatties OF the law This is the deliberate opin-
Ion OF thlrtysix men. under OATH after sttentfvey
nearing the evidence, the arguments of counsel
Hhd Ile Jaw rom the Court and, after careful de-
Iberaton, we have no hesitation in saying that in
each case the verdict was exactly right The Court
decidedly concurs in each verdict oF ~. i,,-S ~
the question that arises in the administration or
paratively large sum Of si4s Sc and tbe coBn ~
additional expense OF least s5O to ascertain
the matter in litigation is OF no Importance to anv
body, and that these are trivial casesF we think
the undOUhted right TO c0mp pose their 4 erences-
to settle them between the parties when they first
come before him. and so arrive at the end OF the
ease which, IT settled then would cost the parties
but a triiing sum.
We DO not hesitate to say that all the difficulties
IN these eases might have been composed at home,
u the pfoper officers had exercised the duties Of
thelr of1ces with q view to making peace as they
ought TO do. Justices OF the Peace are peace OH
GERS. and should promote thegpeace by urging.set-
Elements OF quarrels and other trivial differences.
u course the tncorrigible and the.vicioussshould
oe oounc over to answer; nut magistrates district
attorneys, lawyers and courts the officers ap-
pointed Dy the Constitution aud the laws 70 ad-
minister Justice and to properly perform this duty
IL Is incumbent up n them to discourage trivial
ana causeless litigation only in the interest of
the parties tmmedias ely concerned, but IN the in
terest OF the public. The parties in these
usual' We presume, went TO law to obtain what
they caIi satisfaction, ard they hare it in the pay
hehJ OF nearly $3.50 of their hard earned wages in
lawyers fees fees of the officers OF the court. mile
age on me PennSylvania railroad. and such things
II seems To us IL would have been far more salts
factory TO these parties to have paid this amount
for Hour, meat and clothing for themselves and
their families than to expend it in this way. We
nope that further efforts will be made by com nit
tlng magi istrntes and others to prevent these trv
lal cases by endeavors to settle them before they
reach court where the costs to the parties
thelr hard-earncd wages for that which 10 them is
worse than nothing.