Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-27
JUSTICES, IN
REVOLT, TO
FILE SUITS
Refuse to Give Up
Fees to County
Treasurer
Constitutionality of Act
Fixing Salaries to
Be Attacked
Duly Elected Peace Officers Declare
That New Law Is Unfair and Defy
Authorities to Attempt
Collection

Justices Of the peace. of Los angeles
township in open rebellion against the
fee law passed by tho laSt legislature
will probably be the result of the super
visors' call issued yesterday upon the
justices, demanding that they prepare
their fees and turn them into he
county treaurers office within the next
four days.
Rumors to that e. tect were rife in the
court house yesterday, and the dis
content among the four Justices was
only too evident when they did not deny
that trouble loomed Zig and thick on
the horizon.
The law has caused any amount of
trouble. Last year when the conven-
tions were held the race for the town.
ship justices offices was the closest of
all. For the constabulary Cleveland
and De la Monte nosed out an enormous
field of prominent politicians. For the
justices, Justice Pierce managed by a
hard fight to win the appointment Of
the Republican convention and the
election by a narrow margin. A dozen
other contestants were left in the
lurch, Attorney Summerfield being de-
LCdLSu ny d. Suldll illdJOIlLy.
Justices Salaries Fixed
| When the political cmoke lifted, At
torney Albert Lee ctephens and Justice
Pierce had captured the plums. while
Attorney Summerfield and Justice AUS
tin, formerly of the police court, were
out in the cold.
When the legislature convened the
politicians began to get busy. Two new
justice offices were created for some
body or something, two more consta-
bles were to be appointed and an extra
police justice was thrown in.
John SummerfielC and E. E. Selph
were appointed by the board of super
visors to fill the positions created by
the legislature, and trouble began.
With the constables the fight has not
beer so bitter, because they have been
working for fees, and upon their energy
to secure business depended the amount
of their incomes.
For the justices, however, the legis-
lature fixed a salary of $4,000 per an
mum, with all Gees to be turned over to
the county. To Justices Stephens and
Pierce, who had made the political con-
test for their offices and had won, this
did not appear partic Ilarly attractive,
because of the fact that by the act of
the legislature they were cut out of
some big fees.
Suits Are Threatened
To Justice Pierce the act was articu-
larly CALLING because he, in the many
years he had serve, as justice, had
built up fine business in the fee line.
Both justices have had an enormous
business in the marriage line in the last
month, and that feature has added to
the fee system.
Now that the supervisors ha issued
the order for the justices to turn over
their fees to the county treasurer all
the discomfort of the past month or
more has been brought to crisis.
The constitutionality of the act of
the legislature will be attacked, civil
suits, mandamus proceedings and a
dozen other legal steps are to be em-
ployed to contest .he delivering up of
the fees, and lively fight is expected
Yesterday 1t was stated that Justice
Pierce had taken in $500 in fees during
the past month, and that the business
fro Justice Stephens court had been
nearly as great. Selph and Summer
field, the new justices, are said to have
aggregated about a hundred dollars
worth of fees for both during the past
month.
Decision Necessary
The contention that two justices, be-
ing compelled to do the greater share
of the work and receiving the same pay
as the other two, is one of the causes
of trouble, while decisions of the su-
preme court on similar cases said to
be in favor of the justices in their fee
contention is another stimulus to the
rebellion
1.-THE situation is peculiar" said Chief
Deputy District Attorney Hartley Shaw
yesterday when asked about the i'm
pending trouble. Justice Pierce has
decisions by the supreme court which
he thinks will warrant him in filing suit
on constitutional right TO fight the de-
liVering up of the fees to the county.
OF course, court of equity would have
to decide that question, but ii will prob
ably require the courts to straighten
the things out"
Supervisor Eldridge of the board Of
supervisors winked In a knowing man
ner when the question OF trouble was
put to him. "Im not to be inter-
viewed" he said IF was a knocker
1 could give out fresh sample Of the
art on this very occasion, but when
can't boost / keep my mouth shut"
he said, and refused to discuss the
trouble
This is the situation in a nutshell"
said an officer of Justice Stephens
court:
Pay for conVenlences
''When the justices ran for office and
Pierce and stephens won they secured
their quarters and rented them with
the ideas that they would have to pay
for all their conveniences Justice
Stephens rented his present quarters
(COntinued ON Page rwO.)