The Dickinson press., 1902-05-03
Civil Government.

1fOk As E. N.JdWIOIOs CO0IIlOVEeQ InS
following article to the April number Of
the Westland Educator:
The department Of our government
most admired both at home aud abroad
is the judiciary. and not without reason.
The tenure of Office Of judges Is for
life with provision for retirement at the
age of seventy on full pay providing that
ten years service, has been rendered.
The constitution provides that the com
pensation Of judges may be increased
but not diminished. The judiciary is
thus protected from outside influences
and is able to give an honest, unbiased
decision on any question that may come
before them.
There is no way of BUSTING a Judge
from Office except by conviction Of i'm.
parchment. Even If a Judge should be-
come physically OF mentally incompetent
to discharge the duties of his office he
may be removed in no other way.
Judges are appointed by the President
usually on the ground Of peculiar fitness
for the position.
The organization Of the U. S. courts at
present consists Of a supreme court with
one chief justice and eight associate JUS
tees, a circuit court with nine circuits
and twenty-five judges, and eighty-two
districts each with its own Judge. district
attorney, clerk and marshal. In the
number of district judges are included
three from Alaska, one. each from Hawaii
and Porto Rico.
W. also have a circuit court of ap-
peals made up of judges of each circuit,
the district judge Of the district in which
the court sits and the justice of the su-
preme court for the circuit. The estab-
lishment of the court Of appeals only
required the appointment Of nine addi.
tional judges-one for each circuit.
In addition to the foregoing there are
in the United States two courts Of claims
THE Court Of Claims and the Court of
Private land claims. Since the us. are a
sovereign power they may not be sued.
Hence persons having money claims
against our national government must
have some, other way of getting justice
than by a suit in court. The Court OF
Claims is more like a referee or board OF
arbitration than it is like a court.
The least important of the federal
courts is the court of appeals of the Dis
trict of Columbia and the territories.
The salaries of the various courts at
the present time are as follows:
U. S. Supreme Court: Chief justice,
$4,000; Associate justices. $4,000.
Circuit judges, 5000; Courts of Claims.
$4,000; District Courts, 5000. except in
Alaska, Arizona and Oklahoma, where
the salary is $4,000. Court OF D. c.
S6,5oo-S6,ooo.
AS to jurisdiction of the courts little
need be said. The circuit courts have
both civil and criminal jurisdiction. In
criminal cases they have original juris-
diction and in capital cases an exclusive
one.
In civil cases they have original juris-
disdiction where the: matter in dispute
exceeds $4,000. They have no appellate
jurisdiction whatever.
The circuit courts of appeals are ex.
exclusively courts Of appeals. Their de-
%cisions are final in patent, revenue,
criminal and admiralty cases.
The district courts have a limited
range of jurisdiction both in civil and
criminal matters-especially in crimes
committed within the several districts.
The supreme court of the District Of
Columbia consist of a chief justice and
five associate justices with powers similar
to those held by judges of districts courts.
The territorial judges have similar pow.
era hut are appointed usually for a term
Of four years.
The constitution (sec. 4, clause 81 pro.
vides thai. all crimes except in ease 81
impeachment shall be tried by a jury ir
the state where the crime was committed
1t is better for both the defendant and
prosecution that crimes be tried WHERE
the witnesses are, to be found.