The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-27
Plea FOR THE COURT
MUNICIPAL JUDGES PREPARE A
STATEMENT ON THE PRO-
POSED ABOLITION
THINK 1T is A GOOD THING
of Revenue to- the City, but
Saving of Time and Expense for
lie the CIVIL Court Than Any I'm
the Country.

The rumored movement to legislate
out Of existence the civil branch of the
district court. which was discussed at
the recent meeting Of the bar associa-
ton, has caused Judge Hine and Judge
Orr to do a little figuring on the prop
osition. The abolition of the court is
urged from the standpoint of economy,
and the judges have prepared a state
ment showing that the court is not
only a source Of income to the city,
but saving of time and expense for
litigants.
Following is the statement:
The extent to which the civil jurisdiction
of the municipal court in this city is made
use Of by litigants will perhaps be best shown
by detailed statement of the number of
actions begun in that court during specified
time. During last year, 1898, there were
begun In the municipal court civil cases as
follows fol January, 81; February Ga March.
August, 1903; September, CO.; October, 50; No
vember, 60; December, 49, total of $50 cases
for the year. The fees received from these
January, 1898, $12s; February, s465O; March,
1854; April. $13O.5O; May, $107 so; June $40;
July, $l18 so; August, $153; September, $9S so;
Sos. So total of 81 4ss. So This amount has
all gone into the city treasury. 1t has been
suggested that under some proposed plan
there could he saving of somthing like
5000 year. If there were that saving in
the running expenses of the court 1t must
be borne in mind that under such plan these
fees would not go into the treasury, either
of the city or the county, so that this amount
should be deducted from the expected saw
ing, leaving 1858 so. If out of that $50 cases
only 300 cases reach a trial, which is a small
average, and their trial requires only one
day each. as every one OF them are jury
cases, if they were transferred to the coun-
~ the county would be required to pay 81
jury fees alone in each case, an expense of
$500. The balance of the claimed saving,
$232 90 and more, would quickly be consumed
IN additional fees of sheriffs and clerks for
serving jurors, taking charge of juries, at
tendance on court, meals Of Jurors, and cases
which last more than one day in trial. in
which cases the county pays $24 jury fees
additional for each additional day of trial.
The number of civil cases which up to this
date have been submitted finally, Including
those submitted to both the judges, and in
which decisions have not been rendered up to
this date. amount to but six, so that the
claim that there is delay in the rendering
OF decisions would seem at present to be un-
founded.
If both the civil and criminal business of
the court are taken into consideration, the
its running expenses $1,000 to $1,000 year
The expense of proceeding with civil
action is probably less in this municipal
court than In any court in the country. Upon
commencing civil action the party deposits
with the clerk 81 so in each case This covers
all fees Of every kind and character in
Cured during the progress of the case in
ciud1ng the entry of judgment elsewhere
OF an execution issuing out of this court
The extreme limit, therefore, of expense of
trial in cases, including the collection of the
Judgment, so far as this court is concerned,
Is ~, an amount less than one-half as much
as in any other court in the city. not even
excepting justice courts.