The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-12
PRISONERS AWAITING TRIAL.
The City and Superior Courts Over
run with Criminal Gases.

me City and Superior Courts Over.
run with Criminal Cases.
There are thirty-eight prisoners in Jail
twelve of whom are held for hearing in the
city court. The absence of Judge H arden
from the city requires that they be held over
two days longer than usual. Hazel and
Steele, sentenced two weeks ago to the pen
itentiary, are still in Jail, at an expense to
the county, although the lessess of the con-
vlcts were promptly notified of the convic-
ton and sentence of the two men.
Complaint is made that prisoners ac-
cumulate in the jail at an expense to the
county by reason of the usual annual vaca-
lions OF the courts, and it has been sug-
gested that there should be a boa I'd Of
judges so that city criminal court conld
be held daily, and prisoners promptly tried
and sent to the chain-gang if guilty, or dis
charged II acquitted. By this arrangement
vacations could be taken alternately by the
judges without interfering with The
prompt disposition of the cases daily com
ing up from the mayor,s
court, and the magistrates courts
There has been talk of Legislation
to empower the mayor, or, in his absence.
the vice chairman Of council as acting
mayor, to try many of the cases that now
crowd the city court docket, which court
has large and daily increasing volume of
civil business. Others hold that there
SHOULD be change IN the present law govs
erning the election of magistrates aud the
appointment OF notarieS public, who are
ex-oiticlo magistrates, 50 that a
fewer number may be had for
Savannah and greater jurisdictional
powers granted than to relieve the higher
courts, two OF which are hold to be i6ad-
equate, especially SO, as the absence of the
judge OF the superior court on the circuit
twice year tends TO crowd the calendar of
the city court.
1t is believed by those who favor a reduc-
ton Of the number of magistrates thai II
there We're but two, or not to exceed three
salarled magistrates, much of the litl-
cation now INDUCED in would dis
appear The peace warrants, breach
of good behavior warrants, and often
baseless charges of assaults burden the
pigeon holes of the courts, and the ex
pense OF bringing many of them to trial.
when IN 50 many cases there is no evidence
to convict, has long been recognized bv the
officers of the higher courts
The magistrates admit that the nractice
at present Is not what it should be. and
some of them turn off many who an
ply for warrants over the SLIGHT
est dl7putes with their neighbors
distances are plentiful where one party
taking out warrant over an every day
dispute will be warranted, and an in
stance occurred recently where white
woman prosecuted in the mayors court a
colored woman for throwing q bucket of
slop in the street. The mayor patiently in
vestigated the case having little army of
| witnesses on each side and discharged the
defendant, but the prosecuting witness was
not satisfied, and before night the work of
"warranting' had been s. zealously prose-
cuted in the Justice courts that not onIv
peace warrants had been issued against the
| principals but against the witnesses on
both sides, until finally the ill-feeling was
so pronounced that one Of the magistrates
refused to issue any more warrants against
the witnesses.
Where there is any doubt as to the pro.
p'lety OF Issuing warrant some of the ms.
tees send the party applying for warrant
Go the solicitor general 1t is generally CON
! ceded that some amendment in the laws
must be had to Tighten the labors in the
upper courts, and to put the justices courts
on higher plane