The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1898-11-10

the people, why did he not tell then
before the recent election of the goot
things in store for them; and, in hi,
card giving reasons, why did he MOI
give a reason for this?
But l must proceed: The way oul
Superior court is now run hardly any
one can figure out where there will be-
any saving in jail fees. 1t is only misde.
meanor cases that this city court car
try, and of these only from prisoners
who fail to give bond before time for
trial, could it hope to save board bills
Tor the county, and only from these
when indictment by the grand jury is
waived. Ii the Superior court. in regu-
lar and adjourned terms sat as often as
city court to clear the Jail then there
could be no possible saving in this. On
this point give to the people below
the statement of Mr.. A. A. Bishop.
now, and has been for the last four
years, our sheriff and jailer:
l, A. A. Bishop, hereby certify that I
have been connected with the office of
sheriff for Cobb county, for about four
years, either as deputy or sheriff. Dur
ing all this time | have kept the jail
docket. The average number in Jail
during this time has been about eight.
Of these about one fourth were in for
felonies. Three fourths, on an average.
were in for misdemeanors. OF this
three fourths not more than twenty
tive per cent. failed to ultimately give
bond and thereby get out of Jail unit
court is held. The cost of board of
prisoner per month is $1,000. 1t will
thus be seen that the average yearly
cost for boarding misdemeanor prison.
ers who do not give bond will be about
5000.
If city court was established and
courts held oftener it would be more
difficult to secure bond because par
ties are more liable to skip their bond
men just before court, and it is more
than likely that the jail fees arising
out of these cases then be larger than
they are now A. A. Bishop, Sheriff.
Our efficient clerk settles the ques-
tion about how our business.in the Su-
perior court is being disposed of. Here
is his exact statement:
Il take pleasure in stating for the
benefit of all concerned that the Supe-
rior court If Cobb county is nearer up
up with the business in this court than
it has been in years. The fact is, the
court is alarmingly well up with bust
ness. 1t is virtually true that if there
are any cases ripe for trial that have
not been tried it is the fault of the
parties themselves who continue, and
not of the court. Our criminal bust
ness is well managed and the jail
cleared about as often and we'll as any
city court could hope to do"
For the benefit of the people in this
county who feel greatly interested in
the question, have Investigated the
working of these courts elsewhere
Barlow is an adjoining county of SINH
lar size and wealth, and having coun-
ty site about like ours. They have a
city court, and ] give you a verbatim
report on same from one of the best
lawyers at that bar: with the assis-
lance of Mr.. Godfrey 1 went over the
records yesterday afternoon to get the
cost of our city court for 1897, with
the following result:
Jurors for the year, 100000
Salary of Judge, 10000
Clerks per diem, 1900
Sheriff's attendance, service, 10000
Bailiff and expenses, 314.OO
OVlcI EXPENSES necessary, ZOO.UU
Total, $2.339.0O
This is several hundred dollars below
the average for previous years. Our
city court was established many years
ago when our Superior court dockets
were crowded and years behind, and
we were holding about twelve weeks
of that court per annum, and had
many hundreds Of cases on the dock
cts. Our Superior court has about
caught up, and six to seven weeks will
answer this year. and probably less in
the future. There are very few civil
cases now pending in our city court
not over five or six standing for trial,
as / am informed by the clerk In view
of these facts we have very little use
for a city court. If you will examine
our city court bill you will find that it
was organized on a very economical
plan, but it has accomplished its mis-
sion, and / think it now unnecessary. /"
The people can reach their own con-
illusions from the above facts.
The next witness is lawyer and a
member of the legislature from Carroll
county. A county similar in size and
situation to Cobb, but there is more
excuse for city court there than here,
because the Superior court does not
keep up with the business anything
like this court does in Cobb. Here is
what he says about Carroll: Il am a
member Of the present legislature from
Carroll county, and a member of the
Carrollton bar. We have had city
court which was abolished by me in the
last legislature to take effect July |,
1898. Our people did not like the
court all. 1t did not save any money
for US. More than IS per cent. of the
people were opposed to it. l would
have been overwhelmingly defeated
had advocated it in my last race
Even if it had been saving in expense
it was still unsatisfactory to the peo-
pie. The judge of the court himself
says no expense was saved by this court
to the county. If the Superior court
keeps well up with the business there
is no earthly use for it. Our people
demanded that it be abolished, ever
though we had a heavy docket in the
Superior court. J. M. MOORE"
A bill will be introduced at this legi:
lature to abolish the city court il
DeKalb county because it does not give
satisfaction. The officers there tel
me that by holding adjourned terms o.
| tho S1p.nrinr oil unnnocffu for