The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-19
THE COURT EXPENSES.
JUDGE JUDD WRITES TO THE JUDI
CIARY COMMITTEE
OF the Constitutional Convention
The Total Paid BY the United
States and the erritOry Last
Year Was Over SIG4.oOO.

stitutional convention yesterday re-
ceived the following communication
from United States Attorney Judd:
To the judiciary Committee of the Con-
stitutional Convention:
In compliance with your request that
should furnish you with the cost of main,
tanning the courts of the territory and of
the cost incurred and paid by the United
States and the territory in prosecution
and punishment of crime in Utah, most
respectfully submit the following, being
the actual expenditures for the year 1874:
I have selected the year 1894 for the
reason that it probably more nearly rep
resentS a true statement of the costs, and
it is not likely that in the future the ex-
penSeS will ever be less than they were
for that year:
Amounts paid by the United
States for maintaining terrific
rial prisoners in the peniten-
tiary ......... .......-....-.....-.S oS,oJd ~
e grand Jurors ..................... 6,5os 6s
Witnesses before grand iuries.. 1905 90
Executing warrants and sub
poenas for witnesses in crimi-
nal cases in district courts in
ritory ....'. ... So. s,s49 60
Cost of transporting prisoners
and til the place of trial. 3.242 70
cas- Cases IS . ... .. Jus - 1927 30
four e district courts -. $500 90
O iail I pending g' trial ............. e25 90
snd four assistants .............. 1900 90
Salaries of four judges ......... 1900 90
Total paid by the United. 90 90 =,
Amount paid cut of the treasury Of the
territory for the year 1894:
For jurors, witnesses and court.
Salaries for four judges. 5000 90
all fees ........................ $50 90
lieu of ali fees.................... 1875 90
at at Ogden en- ~. -.l- 80 1850 90
Justice 80. ................... 2.1Os 90
-4 Vets on release from prison. 1900 90
Making total paid by the ter
Total paid by United States
and Utah territory. -S164955 70
The above does not include the expen-
ses which are now being paid by the
several counties of the territory for the
detention of criminals awaiting indict-
ment and trial. and such as are confined
in the county jails upon judgment of fine
and Imprisonment in miSdemeanor cases
This of itself is a heavy expense. While
l am not in possession OF the accurate I t
Salt lake county alone at this. time
ranges from $3.50 to $500 per month
1 beg to call your attention to the ioi-
tanning the penitentiary, as vii! be seen
is one of the heaviest items of expense
The average number of territorial prls,
orers for the year 1894 was about 152, and
the cost was a fraction over 81 cents
per day for each prisoner. This cost IN
cludes guards. warden. feed, clothing
and in short all expenses of every kind
The number of territorial prisoners at
this time in the penitentiary is about 100,
and it is not likely to be any less in the
future.
The question that confronts the people
of the new state is: Shall the taxpayers
support these prisoners in 1dleness at not
only heavy but increasing sHpe .dIs 20, Or
porting by putting the convlcts 10 WORK
at some profitable labor?
am certain with properly devised
plan. the penitentiary can not only be
made self-supporting, but can be made to
realize a revenue to the state. Moreover,
/ believe it is inhuman to keep the
am sure not only that it does not work
anv reform among them, but turns out
worse criminals than went in.
You will observe that the salarl Ess + OF
and the territory amount to an annual
outlay of SIS, 600. There will necessarily
be an increase of this expense, because
there must be an increase of the judges:
The appellate court must consist of not
less than three judges. which number 7
believe to be ample, and the district
six district judges. I am satisfied that
sly district judges can do the work If
thew are intelligent lawyers who know
how and are willing to work.
be some increase in another direction.
The courts should be held in each
county of the state, which will probably
make some increase in the cost of juries
There may be other expenses incident to
maintaining the courts of the state,
which do not at this time occur to me.
But I am satisfied some of the
heaviest items of expense. contained in
my figures herein above set out, can be
materially lessened. If not done away
with altogether. In this include the
proper mana cement this item of expense
can be entirely gotten rid of, If. indeed
as before said, the institution cannot be
made to turn a profit to the state:
The grand jury system at this day
and time is largely and for ordinary pur-
poses an anochrinism- The cost of grand
iuries and witnesses 70 appear before
Them is under ordinary circumstances
both O. useless. expensive and cumber
some luxury. without corresponding
benefit. There may be EMERGENCIES whsrr
a grand jury is needed, and doubtless
such will arise from time to time, but
the Judge holding the court should he
charged with the responsibility of call
ing one when needed.
Another great saving or expense can be
made. if the probate courts of the severa'
counties are given jurisdiction concurrent
with justices of the peace of all nlisde
meanors. with right to a trial by jury
Of not exceeding six men. This jurisdic
ton should be taken entirely from the
district courts except upon appeal, which
should be allowed upon questions of Law
only, which if done will so greatly lesser
the work of those courts that / am sat
fsfed, as 1 have before said, that six dis
trict judges can do the work of the
state.
Respectfully submitted.