Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-28
JUDGES STATE OBJECTIONS
They Do Not Favor Resrrsngsment oi
Judicial Districts
GIVE GEOGRAPHICAL AND OTHER REASONS
Assert That siS Judges mt Least would
Be Necessary for Douglas County
~ Made District by
Itself

II Is reported from Lincoln that bill
for the rearrangement Of the Judicial as
trcts OF the state and a reduction in the
number Of judges from twenty-eight TO
tvcnty-one is under way The report states
that the senator would make Douglas
county a separate district with five judges
and place Sarpy county in district with
Cass Otoe and Nemaha counties, aud wash
ington and Burt counties in still another
district. with Cunning. Stanton Wayne
Cedar. Dixon, Dakota and Thurston coun-
ties
The present judicial district is composed
of Douglas, Sarpy Washington and Burt
counties and has seven judges. All OF
these Judges, with the exception Of Judge
Fawcett and Estelle, who are out of town,
we're interviewed by The Bee yesterday
in regard 70 the proposed change and they
raised objections to It as follows:
Judge sInbaugh's Iden.
Judge W. W. Slabaugh-I don't think the
Encouragement OF the judicial districts as
proposed would be a proper thing. First,
there are geographical objections to placing
Sarpy. Cass. Otoe and Nemaha counties
in one judicial district with one judge.
Sarpy is north of the Platte and the other
counties are all on the south side. with
the Judge down in Nemaha county 1t would
be rather inConvenient for litigants in
Sarpy to reach him. / believe such an ar
rangement would be very Objectionable 20
the lawyers OF Sarpy county. who find
Omaha a most accessible point at which to
reach the district court Many of the
Sarpy county lawyers frequently have bust
ness in this city, and while here attending
TO other matters they can look after their
interests in the district court They can
always depend upon indng a Judge here.
II strikes me that 1t would be something
OF hardship on them TO have to look all
over three counties on the south side uf
the Platte when they want TO find a dis
trict Judge. The same objection applies to
placing Washington and Burt counties in
another district. 1t would not be so bad
to put Sarpy. Washington and Burt coun-
ties in district by themselves but don't
SEQ what could be gained by such an ar
rangement. II would take one Judge to at
tend TO the business of such district and
the separation of the three counties from
Douglas would not lessen the work here
so that we could get along with less than
six judges. | think the present arrange
ment Of Sarpy, Washington, Burt and
Douglas counties into one judicial district
is most satisfactory. 1t may be possible
to reduce the number OF district judges
In the state, but | am sure no reduction
can be made in these four counties without
allowing the work to fall behind.
Opposes n Change.
Judge c. r. Dickinson-The lawyers of
the four counties now in this judicial dis
trict and their clients as we'll would re-
gret to have any change made in the pres
ent arrangement. The convenience OF liti-
gants must be considered when any re-
-
state Is contemplated. Omaha is by far the
most convenient place for the litigants Of
Sarpy Washington and Burt counties to re-
sort to for a district Judge. | don't think
the number of judges could be reduced to
five III Douglas county were to be made a
separate district. This judicial district re-
mains the same in territory today as Il
was at the time of the adoption OF the con-
stituton and | don't believe it would be
good public policy to change It at this
time.
Courts Are Crowded.
Judge Irving +. Baxter-The ideal Of the
courts Is speedy justice and this is not
being realized now In Douglas county, for II
takes at least year to push a case through
the courts. Not one of the three equity,
nor ono of the three jury courts have their
dockets up to date. We now have seven
judges devoting practically all OF their time
10 the work in this county. Last year the
three law judges went to the outside coun-
ties and they are just that much behind,
while the new business comes at about the
rate the old is disposed of. The new law
proposes five judges for this county alone
but consider that cut. 1t does not seem
right. when the fact Is recognized through
out the state that the district judges are
underpaid that more work should be put
upon them. The people want speedy justice
and are willing to pay for It; consequently
i think any cut in the number would be
false economy.
VIII Make No Difference.
Judge Keysor-I do not think the proposed
law will make any difference in Douglas
county. The three outside counties, Wash
ington, Sarpy and Burt, about take up the
time of one man and then the time of an
other Is lost in the breaking into the terms
caused by the judges going out to preside
over the courts in those counties. In my
estimation five judges for "a dstrc. com
prising only Douglas county will be about
the same as seven judges for the
present district of four counties Last year
the law judges were out in those counties
and they ran behind with their dockets, bu
this year the equity judges will go out
They are ahead of the cases that are ready
for trial and the law judges will catch VI
with the business during the year.
Doubts ConstitutionnIity.
Judge Ben S. Baker-It is very doubtful
whether the number OF judges in the state
can be reduced without making changes IN
the constitution, which says specifically tha
the number of judges may be increased, bu
nothing Is said concerning reduction o.
the number, and | question whether any
such power can be read into the law. I'm
der the proposed change in the districts
Douglas county would be one district ant
would have five judges, At present Douglas
Sarpy, Washington and Burt counties com
prise one district. which has seven judges
Under this organization Douglas count.
practically has six judges, the business II
the other counties being about enough to re
Quirc the time of one judge. The proposed
change would increase the work of the nv,
remaining judges so materially that it would
be impossible TO keep the dockets clear
have no idea what the effect would be oI
the other judicial districts of the state II
case the bill were to pass, but IL would Ger
tainly be unfortunate for Douglas county I,
have any reduction in the number OF Judges
II mad been In bed three weeks with grill
when my husband brought me Dr. Miles
Nervine. Pain Pills and Nerve and Live
Pills. was cured, Mrs. ]. Reinier
Franklin. Ind.