The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-10-27
Cadio Needs another Judge.

From all that has been printed. writ
ten and said on the subject there seems
no reason to question the urgent ne
eessity for an additional Judge in the
parish of Caddo, which forms the first
judicial district of Louisiana. From
an entirely reliable, wel1-informed and
disinterested source the editor of The
Chief has received the following state
ment of conditions existing in Caddo
with reference to the business of the
district court:
1--WE have hundreds of criminal
cases pending which cannot be tried
on account of the volume Of work our
single judge has to perform. It is the
policy, as the law requires, TO give
preference to those who are confined
in Jail, and the criminal terms are
entirely taken up with jail cases. AS
a natural result criminals who are
fortunate enough to secure bonds are
released and there is small chance OF
their ever being brought to trial. It
10 serious situation and one which
ought 80 be remedied. There is as
much civil litigation in this parish as
one Judge can handle, and whenever
criminal term breaks into the CAL
civil business. But the most serious
docket. Anybody who commits an
oAn N1
furnish bond need not trouble him
self any further. His chances of be-
ing tried are slim. Perhaps he will
be called, but the probabilities are
greatly against his being troubled to
appear In court. Fortunately the city
court, which is about the same as the
recorders courts in New Orleans, can
try such cases as happen ID ward four
and are punishable only with jail or
road sentences-Wha at the law terms
misdeme anors. This takes small
part of the work which would other
wise 60 to the district court.
1.-THE amount OF civil litigation and
the volume of criminal cases make it
necessary to have two courts, one to
handle each branch. Ii the people or
the state support the constitutional
amendment granting Caddo new or
additional judge, the business can
then be divided and handled properly.
This is a question entirely free from
partisan politics, but concerns all the
people, black, white and Cinnamon.
The wheels of justice are badly clog
ged and we need another engine TO
help them move along
Gov. Blanchard, Judge Land of the
supreme court, District Judge Bell,
District Attorney Foster, all the forty
nine members Of the Caddo bar, all
the Shreveport newspapers and the
leading citizens representing the vari-
GUS business and agricultural interests
Of the district strongly assert the i'm
perative need of an additional Judge
TO keep pace with the judicial busi-
ness and subserve the ends OF justice,
and upon the strength OF such indorse-
ments the people of the state should
not hesitate TO approve constitutional
amendment No. I, which is to be voted
on at the approaching election.
A similar amendment was defeated
by small majority two years ago,
SO we'll understood, and the measure
contained the objectionable provision
that the additional judge should be
appointed by the governor. Under
the amendment now pending the Judge
is TO be elected By the people, aud the
growing population and Increasing
criminal business and civil litigation
Of the Caddo district have intensified
and augmented the necessity for the
creation OF the new jadgeship.