The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-25
COST OF INDIANA COURTS
PEOPLE PAY $1,000 900 ANNUALLY TO
MAINTAIN THEM.
Per Capita Expense Amounts to About
Forty Cents-Over Thirty-Ffve
Thousand Cases.

The courts of the State of Indiana cost
the people good deal of money, State
Statistician Johnson points out in part of
his annual report which will be printed
soon, but on the whole they are con-
Quoted economically and at comparative
small cost. The statistician found 1t a
hard matter to compare the cost of main
tanning courts in Indiana with the cost in
any other State of approximately the same
population, for the reason that Indiana
has an immense amount of litigation aris-
ing from the great railroad bushes and
extensive manufacturing interests. The
statistician presents facts and figures of
interest, based reports from all but
four counties in the State. He says:
1.-THE State is divided into fifty-eight ju-
oicial circuits. but each county has cir
cult court. There are eight Superior Court
three judges. The only Criminal Court is
in Marion county. The salaries of all
judges are paid by the State, except that of
the Marion Criminal Court, which is paid
by the county. In addition, the State paws
the salaries of tifty-eight prosecuting at
torneys. There are six appellate judges
and five supreme judges All the expense
of the Supreme and Appellate Courts is
paid by the State.
ut costs nearly 100000 to maintain all
the courts of the State The figures given
show the expense of maintaining the Cir
cult, Superior and Criminal Courts, with
the exception of that of four counties
Franklin, Fulton, Lawrence and Morgan
made no report as to the cost of grand
and petit juries.
SALARIES OF JUDGES.
1.-THE amount paid for salaries of judges
mentioned amounted for the year 1902, to
s17S,710, while $4,000 was paid for the SAL
aries of the prosecuting attorneys. For
grand and petit juries the sum of soSO.OOO
was paid, and if the four missing counties
be added it will bring the aggregate up to
more than $4,000. This is the largest
item in the cost of maintaining the judi
ciary of the State. The miscellaneous ex-
penses, with but one county. Upton, out
reaches only s206,000
1.-THE expense to the various counties for
changes of venue amounts to the consid-
cradle sum or more than SO, coo. This can
hardly, in justice. be called an additional
expense TO the counties, as had the trials
taken place without change of venue they
would have entailed some cost but not so
much as by the changes.
The courts OF the State annually dis
pose of about $500 civil cases 10000 GRIM
inal cases where felonies are charged. be-
sides several thousand misdemeanors and
large amount of probate business.
There is no fair way of making a COM
parison of the cost of maintaining the
courts in Indiana with that OF any other
State of about equal population because
commercial business is not the same A
State with 100000 population, altogether
devoted 10 agricultural pursuits, would not
have the same amount of litigation as one
where the volume of commercial business
including manufactures and transportation
is much larger Indiana is network of
railroads, and from variety of causes they
produce much litigation: the same is true
from the employment of so many thou
sands in the manufacturing and mining
pursuits. The court expense in this state
will amount 10 nearly 40 cents per capita
of the population
"A part or the total expense of the courts
is paid back i'm the way of costs CHARGED
up against litigants. but IL Is impossible to
get the amount thus reimbursed Very it,
tie OF that entailed by criminal trials Is
ever paid, while about all entaiied by con-
Quoting probate business is paid by the
estates involved. Ii Is possible that if IL
could be ascertained just how much is