The evening world., 1894-02-05
OF THE JUSTICE.
Has a Favorite Known as
the Attorney General"
HE Regard Shown for the Needs
OF the Public.
Necessity for Reform in the
Civil District Courts.

The Sixth District Civil Court has juris-
ktion over the Eighteenth and Twenty
1t Wards of New York. and is presided
Ter by Justice Daniel +. Martin.
bustice Martin succeeded Justice Lach-
Ban on Jan. 1, 1891. and those evils ex-
ling in the Sixth District Court cannot
fairly attributed to the present JUS
re.
but Justice Martin, who sits upon the
Snch at 47 Second avenue on Wednes-
lays and Fridays. could easily put an end
the neglect and delay in his court by
kolding sessions every day In the week.
The law governing the conduct of JUS
Ices says that court shall be held on
livery judicial day, which means, of
tourse, every day except Sundays and
legal holidays.
Justice Martin, whose law Office is at
Isl Chambers street, has a court calendar
crowded with nearly three hundred cases.
1.-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
adjournment of cases by the Justice.
There Is absolute 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 at Isl East Fifty-seventh street.
Justice John B. Mexican, who presides
there, has much to be thankful for. The
business transacted is small in COMPARE
son to that of the Fourth and Fifth Dis
The scarcity of business in the Seventh
District gives Justice Mexican and his
clerks abundant time to look after their
private affairs, and 1t is not surprising
to find but fifty or sixty untried cases
upon Justice Mekean,s calender: re-
marked a ~well-known attorney last night.
that he actually does not do justice, In
law. The rule Of practice In the civil
courts provides that all motions for adj
journment or excuses for delay, shall be
made by afidavits. . Now, Justice Nc
Kean will allow verbal statements to be
made on such motions, without the first
sign of an AFFIDAVIT.
Not long ago, in Justice McKean's
court. l was pressing a claim OF a work
ingman for wages and had three or four
Without any reasonable excuse the Court
adjourned the case: II the defendant
has a bad case, as in this instance, the
hest thing the Court could do would be
to remain at home and allow the de
fendant's 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 let a default be taken against
him, and when the execution is issued
ana the Marshal comes around to levy
he can go into court and get the default
re. ,ened. In this way the case can be
kept in court indefinitely, / know OF a
ease Of this character which has been
pending In Justice MckeanS court Tor
the last six months
| In the Seventh District Court there
are "iavorites'' who practise at the bar,
as in some other courts, and one of these
legal friends of Justice Mexican Is
known to his colleagues as the Attor-
rev General Of the court"
~ ,favorite and m~uch-used expression
Of Justice Mexican in addressing his
Acknowledgement" is this:
Well, counsellor: l think the defend
ant ought to have his day in court. so l
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
nra elise at McKean'S bar.