The evening world., 1894-02-05
PET OF THE JUSTICE.
Mexican HIS a Favorite Known as
the Attorney-General,
Little Regard Shown for the Needs
O. the Public.
Urgent Necessity for Reform in the
Civil District Courts.

The Sixth Di,trict Civil Court has juris.
diction over the Eighteenth and Twenty
first Wards Of New York, and is presided
over by Justice Daniel F. Martin.
Justice Martin succeeded Justice Lach-
man on Jan. 1, 1894. and those evils ex-
listing in the SiIth District Court cannot
he fairly attributed to the present JUS
tice.
But Justice Martin, who sits upon the
bench at 407 Second avenue on Wednes-
days and Fridays, could easily put an end
to the neglect and delay in his court by
holding sessions every day in the week.
The law governing the conduct of JUS
tices says that court shall be held on
every judicial day. which means. of
course, every day except Sundays and
legal holidays.
Justice Martin whose law office is at
81 Chambers street, has a court calendar
OVID with nearly three hundred cases.
The law says the Justice must not ad-
journ court until all the business of the
public has been transacted.
The most frequent complaints against
the Sixth District Court arise from the
Appointment VI cases DS tlle JUSTICE.
There is absolut. need of speedy relief to
the poor litigants in the district.
In the Seventh District Civil Court, the
Jurisdiction of which embraces the whole
of the Nineteenth Ward, the sessions are
held al ISL East Fifty-seventh street.
Justice John Il Mexican. who presides
there, has much to be thankful for. The
business transacted is small in compari-
son to that of tie Fourth and Fifth Dis
trict Courts.
The scarcity a business in the Seventh
District gives Justice Mexican and his
clerks abundant time to look after their
private affairs, and 1t Is not snrprisins
upon Justice MRKean's calendar.
Justice McSean is so moral" re-
marked a well-fnown attorney last night.
that he actually does not do justice in
law. Thu rule of practice in the civil
courts provides that all motions for adj
journment or excuses for delay, shall be
made by a~ttidivits., Now, Justice Nc
made on such motions, without the first
sign of an affidavit.
mot long 40, i'll Justice Mckean's
court, | was messing a claim of a work
ingman for wages. and mad three or four
~workingmen in court as witnesses.
Without any reasonable excuse the Court
adjourned, the caac; II the d~efendant
best thing the Court could do would be
to remain at home and allow the de-
PENDANTS attorney to adjourn The case
as often as possible, whether he had a
good excuse or not. Finally, a defendant
having a bad case in Justice Mckean's
Court can le "A default be taken against
him, n wien the execution is Issued
and the Marshal comes around to levy
he can go into court and get the default
reopened. In his way the case can be
kent in count indefinitely. l know or a
case of this character which has been
rending In Justice Mckean's court for
the last six months.
In the Seyenth District Court. there
are "favorips'' who practise at the bar.
as In some ether courts. and one of these
legal friends of Justice Mckean Is
known to lis colleagues as the Attor-
ncy-Genera Of the court
< favorik and much-used expression
of Justice Mexican in addressing his
General" Is this:
We'll. counsellor. ] think the defend,
ant ought to have his day In court, so
will adjourn this case"
This ruling is so common in Justice
McKean's court. and the Attorney
General" represents so many defendants
in cases On trial as to occasion more or
less comment among the attorneys VINO
practise at McKean's bar.