Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-25
OUR LETTER BOX.
ENOUGH JUDGES ALREADY.

Editor State Herald
L notice in your paper of yesterday
that q bill was introduced in the state
legislature on last Saturday to establish
a second division of the criminal court
of Jefferson county, with a judge at a
salary of $1S00.
You very correctly state that jefferson
county Is now paying for two circuit
and one criminal court judge the neat
fttle sum of $500 and supplementing
the salary of the circuit judge and cir
cult solicitor with salary of $500 each
The county solicitor is paid $4,000 by the
county and $4,000 additional set aside
by law to pay an assistant and incidental
expenses, making the total expenses OF
Jefferson county $22,500. This amount
the county pays for judges and solicitors
| that should be paid by the state of Ala
| bama.
| The state of Alabama pays the SAL
aries of all circuit judges and solicitors
| in this state, thus taking such expenses
| off of the counties throughout the state
except In counties where city courts are
| established. In all except probably
! eight counties in the state where special
| courts are established, the state pays for
| the administration of justice in both civil
| and criminal cases and the burden Of
running the same is paid by the state
| and not saddled on the counties. For
| instance, Walker, Bibb, Shelby, st. Clair
| and other counties do not levy a tax
| upon their people and property to pay
| judges and solicitors
| The people of jefferson county, as you
| truly say, are not only now burdened
| with this $22,5 500 annually for running
| courts other than the circuit and chan
Gerry and paying solicitors other than
| circuit solicitors, but are now asked to
| assume the additional expense of $780,
| making in all $4,000, as you suggest, to
| fill the wants OF some aspiring young
| lawyer, who wants a judgship with
| nice salary
rrt..
stitutonal convention to remedy the de-
fects in our laws, as shown by Mr.. S. D.
Weakley, in his article published in
| your paper. on the demands and needs of
| a constitutional convention. With the
change in. the constitution which now al
| lows not less than three counties in one
| circuit with the change in the laws. we
might have a circuit court in Jefferson
county, with three judges and two So
| licitors, all to be paid by the state, as
| such officers are now paid in all the
| counties, with the exceptions above
| stated. r@e
jefferson county would thus be put on
| an equal footing with other counties in
| the state, and be rid of this extra burden
| of $22, 500 and the additional burden Of
| 81 800, of which you justly complain is
| now attempted to be saddled upon US for
| the creation of this new court.
| The truth Is there is no necessity what
| ever for the creation of this new court
| and a new judge on an 81 500 salary, while
| we have so many judges now on the
bench, all paid by this county who have
| the time and -abilityt to aid in the trial
Of all the criminal h Gases y t aisno Snage
| speedily and the. jail and the criminal
| dockets kept clear
The circuit court Of Jefferson county
| and the city court of Jefferson county
each have now Jurisdiction for the trial
| of criminal causes.
| 1t Is we'll known among the lawyers,
| the judges and all the citizens that liti-
| cation has fallen off nearly so per cert
| in the last three years, consequently
| these judges are not pressed for time
with crowded dockets now as they were
A simple act of the legislature requir-
| ing the judge of the criminal court of
| jefferson county to transfer all non-jury
cases to the city court and jury cases
| to the circuit court for trial when his
| docket or the Jail becomes crowded, and
| also require the judges of said courts
| to which the cause may be transferred
| to set such cases down for immediate
| trial would give better relief than this
| bill seeks to give, without this 1900 ex-
pense, and these experienced judges could
| doubtless administer the law in such
4 cases with fewer mistakes and less par
| TALLY than might be committed by any,
| new judge who may be fathering this
4 new act. y Z
| 1t may be that our people are so indif-
| ferent to the burden of S22,500 taxes, of
| which you make mention that they would
| not object to the S1,S00 more just to get
new Judge. 1t is true, and
| cannot be questioned, as above STATE
| ed, that the judges of the city and cir
| cult courts have ample time and ability
| to discharge all the duties required of
| this new judge. ee-r
This fact being called to the atten-
ton Of the members of the legislature
| from Jefferson county. who are always
| on the alert to cut down expenses. will
| doubtless see the force of what is herein
| said and save the dear people" this
| additional tax of 81, 500 even at the ex-
pense of spelling some aspirant's ex-
OBSERVER.
THE NEW JUDGE.
Editor State Herald:
I read with interest In your issue Of 22d