The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-02
COURTS OF APPEAL
BILL TO AMEND CONSTITUTION
DRAWN BY JUDGE BARROW.
TO RELIEVE SUPREME COURT
THE PURPOSE OF INTERMEDIATE
APPELLATE TRIBUNALS.

Bills Drawn at Instance of Georgia
Bar Association, as "a Result of Dis
cussion at the Last Meeting-SU-
preme Court Now COngested by
OvcrpIus of Appealed LitigatiOns.
Bill Proposes Three Judicial Dis
tricts for the state, With n Court
of Appeals in Each-Each to Con-
sist of Three Observation-Disclosures
and Procedure of Proposed Tribu-
nails.
The bills providing for the division
of Georgia into three judicial districts
and for the creation of d district court
of appeals in each have been prepared
by Hon. Pope Barrow, at the instance
of Secretary Orville A. Park. of the
Georgia Bar Association.
The creation of such appellate
courts, designed to relieve the pres
sure now brought to bear on the Su-
preme Court by cases from the vari-
Gus Superior and City Courts of the
state, was possibly the principal OBJ
tons last meeting at Warm SPRINGS,
and the only one in which there was
practical unanimity of opinion. No
body doubts that such courts are urg-
entity needed.
The Bar Association decided that
such a bill should be drafted and pre-
scented to the next session of the Cen
eral Assembly, and this work. be-
cause of the fact that he was entirely
familiar with legal needs and had had
previous experience in the preparation
of such a bill as was thought to be
needed, was committed to Judge Bar
row.
To Amend Constitution.
To effect the desired object two bills
will be needed, one of which will pro-
vide for the submission of a constitu-
tional amendment to the people at the
next general election, after the bill
has been carried by a two-thirds' vote
of the House and Senate The amend
ment will be necessary before a new
court can be erected within the ju-
dicial system of the state. The sec
ond bill will provide for the carrying
into effect of the constitutional amend
ment so adopted, and will be a mat
ter for the consideration of the Cen
eral Assembly alone.
Both of these bills have been pre-
pared by Judge Barrow and have been
submitted by him to various promi-
nent lawyers of the state. among them
Chief Justice Simmons of the Supreme
Court. The bill is to be entitled:
IAN act to establish three judicial
districts in this state and District
Courts of Appeal therein, to define and
regulate the jurisdiction of the same
and of other courts of this state in
certain cases, and for other purposes"
Three judicial districts are to be Gre
ated in Georgia.
The Judicial District.
The First district is to be composed
of the counties comprising the East
ern, the Atlantic, the Brunswick, the
Southern, the Albany, the Middle, the
Pataula and the Southwestern dis
tricts.
The Second District is to be compos-
ed of the counties comprising the Au-
gusta, the Northern, the Ocmulgee, the
Oconee. the Macon, the Chattahoochee.
and the Flint circuits.
The Third District is to be composed
of the counties comprising the West
ern, the Northeastern, the Blue Ridge,
the Stone Mountain, the Atlanta, the
Cherokee, the Rome, the Tallapoosa,
and the Coweta circuits.
Judges and Terms of Court.
A district court of appeals is to be
created in each of said districts, which
shall consist of three judges. of whom
two shall constitute a quorum, and
which shall be a court of record with
appellate jurisdiction.
One term of the District Court of
Appeals, for the First District shall be
held in eacn year in each of the cities
of Savannah, Brunswick, Townsville
and Albany.
One term of the District Court of
Appeals for the Second District shall
be held in each year in each of the
cities of Augusta, Macon Columbus,
and Griffin.
One term of the District Court of
Appeals for the Third District shall De
held in each year in each of the cities
OF Athens, Atlanta, Rome and New
nan.
Judges Named by Governor
The judges of the District Courts of
Appeals are to be appointed by the
Governor, by and 18th the advice and
consent of the Senate, and their term
of office is to be twelve years, and I'M
til their successors are qualified In
the first appointment of judges under
this act, the Governor will appoint one
for four years. one for eight years and
one for twelve years in each district,
and designate the term of each re-
spectively in his appointment. The
judges of the District Courts of Ap-
peals in the three districts are to meet
as soon as convenient after their ap-
pointment and confirmation, make and
prescribe rules of practice in the
courts, the form and style of its seal,
the form of writs and such other pro-
cesses and procedures as may be con
formable to the exercise of such juris-
diction as shall be conferred upon said
courts, all of which shall be uniform
in all three judicial districts. The COM
pensation of the judges of the district
courts of appeals shall be $500 per
annum.
The clerk of said district courts of
appeals in each district shall be elect
ed by the judges of the district courts
thereof. The regular term of the clerk
will be six years, and he will give
bond for the faithful discharge iof his
duties, in such sums as may be re-
quired by the rules of the general con-
vention of judges.
MI