Connecticut western news., 1883-03-21
THE last legislature authorized the

Governor to appoint a commission Son judicial system and criminal code, 5 to enquire into the feasibility of sim plifying and improving the judicial sys- tenn of the state, to inquire what 1egis- lative changes may be necessary relating to the punishment of crimes, the juris- diction of criminal courts and criminal evidence and procedure.
 This commission has not completed its labors, but has made partial report to the legislature now in session. The report gives some interesting statistics
 A large proportion of all civil suits commenced are withdrawn or defaulted.
 Of 9,9G9 cases brought to the superior court in five counties, 3,S11 were with drawn and GIG defaulted, total of 4,427.
 Of criminal cases tried before justices of the peace, about one-third are ap- pealed to the superior court, and of these about fiye-sixths are nolled, which cost the state about S15, ,OOO year. . The average sum paid to jurors in each criminal case in the superior court is S100, in each civil case S43O, but this does not cover all the costs, the loss of time by witnesses aud others is an important item.
 The report says that the principal crimes punished by our laws, such as murder, manslaughter, arson, burglary, etc, have no statutory definition and are only defined in an unwritten law, whose commands must be sought in reports of decided cases, scattered through many volumns, and extending over q period of moro than two cen turies. Besides these We have very many statutory offences whose definitions cannot be fully understood without 9 knowledge of the common law offences.
 The inconsistencies of punishment D for many offences are pointed out and among others the following instances are cited
 If an assault be charged or commit ted upon an officer in the execution of his office, the maximum imprisonment IS three months in jail but if the same assault be charged without the aggra- yation of resistance to law, the maxim nm imprisonment is one year in iail. There are more than 70 different pen alties for the violation of the fishery laws. A boy breaks the window of a cigar shop after dark to steal half Q dozen cigars the mildest penalty pos sible is one year in state prison. A clerk steals $50 from his employer'still, and the longest term of Imprisonment is six months in jail. A threatening ges- ture is liable to the same punishment as the most brutal battery The mali cious and intentional disabling of ones foretinger involves minimum impris- onment of not less than seven years in state prison, while the most serious in- iuries inflicted, even with intent to kill, may be punished with a dollar fine.
 There is no doubt that our whole iu- dicial system, from justices and probate courts pp to the highest grade. is sus- ceptible of Improvement It belongs to former generation when the old stage coaches were considered the height of perfection in the way of trans poltation. It is in measure crude, antiquated and obsolete,-patclwor But the question is, How we are going to improve it It can't be done in a day, nor by any legislature, nor by any legal cranks," and we are met by the alternative, whether it is not better to bear the ills We have, than fly to others We know not of