The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1906-10-17

CO., -. iiollSS OL the law and
aancL ulh Oh Justice. 1t is located in
tue basement of the capitol building
Immediately under the apartment on
the main floor where the Judges don
tnelr slIken robes before going mon
the oench. This conference room is
SO located that it can only no
reached through two carefully guard
ed ante-rooms, or by windows tiftv
Ieet above the paved court yard he
low. O0
The Judges Secret Conference Room
Olnce leaks in supreme court de-
clslons nave occurred greater safe
guards have been thrown around the
conference room Such precautions
have their effect, but leaks do NOT
come from this apartment and seek
ers lot inside information regarding
a decision of the court would waste
time towering around this neighbor-
MOOD. For the information of the
curious the routine business of the
conference is along these lines: At
the head of long table sits the
chief justice with the associate JUS
tees at his right and left according
to seniority CT service, the same as
on the bench in the court chamber
above
Each case is taken up and consid-
cred separately If a long discussion
is provoked those who have made up
their minds apparently give no heed
to the proceedings, but engage in
other understanding newspapers,
discussing politics, religion, sports,
and telling stories. Sometimes the
long table will be almost deserted,
while two or three of the associate
justices endeavOr to reconcile their
differences over some legal techni-
cality.
Reaching an Opinion.
When conclusion has been
reached and the chief justice desires
to take a vote on a case he calls the
roll, beginning with the junior JUS
tice at his left. AS the name of
each is called he responds affirm, "
sustaining the decision of a lower
court, or reverse" if the lower trib-
unal is in error After the case is
decided the chief justice assigns who
shall write the opinion of the court
Railroad cases are generally given
those who make specially of that
subject and the same rule is applied
in patent, marine and other subjects.
Sometimes a justice will request to
be excused from writing an opinion,
and give reason for such a request
AS in every thing else, some
judges are more industrious than
others and do not question their as
signmentS. Others seek assignments
which will not require much study
or hard work. Some of them have
been known to soldier" on their as
sociates by transferring their as
signments in big cases to a willing
worker by suggesting that the latter
was much better qualified to frame
decision which would meet the
views of a majority of the court.
JudicioUs f1attery is as potent in the
conference room of the United
States supreme court as it is else
where.
Majority Rule Prevails.
In voting on a decision a MAORI
ty prevails, and an evenly divided
court affirms the decision of the low
err tribunal. Judges are not permit
ted to vote in cases in which they
did not participate. Sometimes one
of the justices may be personally in
terested in a case being considered
and exercises the privilege Of being
excused from hearing the case ar
gued and refrains from voting. There
are often heated arguments before
a conclusion is reached, and the
Saturday conferences are sometimes
prolonged until the shades of even
ing fall and it is necessary to turn
on the electric lights before the JUS
tees have reached a decision in
which the whole country may be in
terested. Such occasions are rare,
however, and the conference general
w adiourns about the middle of the
afternoon in order that the court
of last resort may recuperate and
rest preparatory to taking up knotty
legal problems the ensuing Monday