The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1907-04-19
COURT WORK A YEAR BEHIND
Large Increase in Litigation Res
ponsible Change Would
Not Increase Circuits.

A movement has been started for the
Encouragement of the judicial circuits of
southern Michigan whereby Van Buren,
county would be set off in a circuit by
itself. The situation is as follows:
Lenawee and Hillsdale counties now
comprise the first judicial circuit with a
population of 1884.
Branch and st. Joseph counties COM
prise the 18th judicial circuit with a
population of 1926.
Van Buren, and Cass counties com.
prise the Both judicial circuit with
population of 55,030.
On account of the large increase of
circuit court work, a bill has been in
troduced to separate Lenawee county
from Hillsdale county. The new move
ment as proposed would arrange the
circuits as follows:
Lenawee county will be made the 39th
judicial circuit with a population of
1907.
Hillsdale and Branch counties the
1st judicial circuit with population Of
56, ,234
Cass and st. Joseph counties the 18th
judicial circuit, with a population of
43,259.
Van Buren, county the Both judicial
circuit with population of $4,000.
Litigation in Van Buren, county has
increased so rapidly within the past few
years that it is impossible for a circuit
Judge to keep his work anywhere near
up in both counties. In the years 1903
and 1904 there were 476 cases started in
Van Buren county. During the years
1905 and 1906 there were $50 cases start
ed, an increase of 50 cases in two years.
Circuit court business in Van Buren,
county is at present about one year be-
hind, and with a steady increase of liti-
cation it is impossible to keep the work
up. This new arrangement would not
make any more circuits In the state, as
the probabilities are that Lenawee coun-
ty will be set off in a separate circuit
anyway, and the only increase in taxes
would be the proportion of the stem
ographer's salary paid by Cass county.
That county is paying at present one
third of his salary, that being the pro-
portion of circuit court business done
there to the amount done in Van Buren,
county.
The bar of Van Buren, county gener-
ally favor the movement, and advance
as an argument in favor of it that, il
Van Buren county was in judicial cir
cult by itself, the circuit judge could so
arrange the terms of court that some OF
them might be devoted exclusively to
chancery business and that when the
Jury came the whole attention OF the
court could be given to the trial of jury
cases.
Thirty jurors at 81 per day means $50
a day to the county, and if they are idle
a day or half a day, the county loses
just that much for lost time. Then
again the litigation in Van Buren, coun-
ty is increasing so rapidly that many
cases must of necessity be delayed from
term to term. Van Buren, county at
present, as has been the case for several
years, has more circuit court business
than does Kalamazoo county.
This matter will undoubtedly be placed
before Representative Simpson, and he
will be asked to present bill of this
nature. The necessary bills to make
this change are as follows:
A bill to amend sections l and 10 of
act 1856 of the public acts of 1897, entitled
"An act defining the limits Of the judi
cial circuits OF the state OF Michigan"
The people of the state of Michigan
enact
Section l. The first circuit shall be
composed of the counties of Hillsdale
and Branch.
Section 2. The 18th judicial circuit
shall be composed of the counties of st.
Joseph and Cass.
A bill to amend section 36 of the pub
lie acts OF 1899, entitled IAN act defining
the limits of the judicial circuits OF the
state of Michigan" The people of the
state of Michigan enact
Section l. The 36th judicial circuit
shall be composed Of the county Of Van
Buren.