Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-30
Hundreds of Cases Crowding the
Calendar Beyond the Power of
the Courts to Clear Away.
SOME OF THE REMEDIES SUGGESTED
Several Lawyers Who Think There Would
be Plenty of Work for at Least
Two More Judges.
THE LIQUOR LICENSE GRIND A BIG DRAG
Suits That Grow Musty Before They Have Chance to
Reach Hearing.

There is considerable complaint, not only
among lawyers, but more particularly
among clients, that justice is snail-paced,
and that important suits that should in the
interest of business reach conclusions, drag
along until they are musty and until wit
nesses die or go West Complaint is made
in the East that the Supreme Court is over
worked-or, at least, it is long time in
getting vital questions disposed Of Judge
Mitchell is quoted as saying that for q
remedy the county Common Pleas Judges
might be formed into Circuit Courts OF Re-
view, with limited Jurisdiction, and thus
relieve the Supreme Court of consideration
of many of the 1000 or more cases that it
is required yearly to consider. 1t is held
that the Supreme people have not time to
properly consider all the work brought be-
fore them for review.
A Supreme Court Justice is quoted in
opposition to this plan. His remedy is to
limit the Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court
to cases involving more than $500. He was
opposed to the plan of creating circuit
court of review, which Senator Shull, of
Monroe county, intimated might be formed
by the next Legislature.
ONE WAY OUT OF IT.
The Supreme Justice quoted proposed that
in smaller cases than the ones suggested,
where principles involved were important,
appeals might be allowed and the Supreme
Court authorized to issue writs calling for
all the evidence and papers, and decide
whether they should or should not be re-
opened. He said the Supreme Court did
not slight small cases, and gave as m uch
consideration TO them as tO more important
ones. The Supreme Court of the United
States only considers about 400 cases year,
though it has nine judges, while the Su-
preme Court of Pennsylvania passes on
about 1000 with but seven judges on the
bench.
Pittsburg lawyers do not seem to be
greatly exercised about this phase of legal
procedure, but some of them do complain
of delays, or rather of slow progress in our
county courts. W. B. Rodgers secuted the
claim that the Supreme Court wore itself
out in the consideration of small cases, and
though he didn't say it. his manner seemed
to indicate that he thought the Supreme
Court didn't put Itself out greatly under the
consideration of its work.
But many Pittsburg lawyers do chafe un-
der the vexatious delays in getting their
cases considered in the Common Pleas No.
l is all the time year behind. and No. is
not much better, since the duty of presiding
in the hearing of applications for license to
sell liquor has been put on it, and Judge
Collier sat all summer hearing cases in the
Criminal Court, and this branch occupies
more lime from year to year.
EXPERIENCE OF TWENTY YEARS.
Charles A. Fsgan. Esq, is about the best
authority to be had on this subject, as his
20 wears service in this department enables
him to speak from personal knowledge.
He states that the Quarter Sessions now re-
quires constant session to be able to keep
up with its work, aud it cannot be charged
altogether to Justices of the Peace sending
trivial cases to court in order to secure costs,
as now Justice Of the Peace can secure his
costs without sending up a case.
Mr.. Fagan suggests that as a consti-
tutional amendment would be necessary to
create separate Criminal Court, the matter
might be bridged by having two more Com
mon Pleas Judges added, so that the court
could grind increasingly. He also states
that one cause of the increase of business in
the Criminal Court is the constant influx of
foreigners in this city, and says all anyone
need do to be convinced is to examine the
criminal calendar and observe the nomen-
clature. The number of names ending in
'ski'' is astonishing, and so long as Pitts
burg is the Mecca of foreigners seeking
work it is not likely to be much better.
Mr.. Fagan further observes that while the
Legislature has been taking especial pains
to perfect the machinery of the Pittsburg
city government, there has been nothing of
consequence in the way of increase In the
County Court department. Though the
county's population has doubled in 20 years,
there are no more judges on the bench nor
clerks in the Quarter Sessions department
than there were in 1870. Some 9, 500 cases
are tried in a year. while in Philadelphia,
where the operating force of the Criminal
Court is double that of Allegheny county,
there are but about 3, 900 cases tried, only 25
per cent more than here.
NEED OF TWO MORE JUDGES.
c. c. Dickey, ESQ.,, agreed with Mr.. Fa-
gan, and with his view as to remedy, the
appointment of two more Common Pleas
Judges.
William Reardon, Esq, did not appear to
bulLh luSlC was or hCSCoSIl9 lOI u1OTt
Judges. He said that Judge Ewing's plan
saved litigants time and expense. He makes
it point to ascertain how long a trial is
likely to last, and should it be day or
three days, clients, witnesses and ali others
interested are dismissed for that time. This
is a vast improvement on the ordinary prac-
tice of keeping ''cloud ofwitnesses" hover
ing round tine court rooms a week or more,
as is often the case.
The idea will suggest itself to many people
that if petty criminals convicted in the
Quarter Sessions were made to serve their
time sweeping the streets or breaking stone
in public on the county roads, the Quarter
Sessions would be relieved of several
hundred cases each year-perhaps a thou
sand. In cases where the sentence is a
certain number of days to Jail, the convict's
wages might be paid to his family, if the
county have no need of the money. 1t not
iufreQuently happens that the falling of a