Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-07-03
ARRANGE FOR
BRANCH COURT
Circuit Judges in Conference
Here Decide to Double SEES
sions in County.
lis NECESSARY MEASURE
Docket Congested With Long Pend
ing Cases, and Work Getting
Still Farther Behind.

AS a means of relieving the con
gested condition Of the circuit court
docket in this county, the three judges
of the circuit court, w. II. Gest #
son and f. c. Graves of Geneseo, de-
Cided at conference held here this
morning, TO establish a branch court
beginning with the September term.
There has been talk of such step for
some time, and since the legislature
failed to take steps to relieve the sit
uation by changing the makeup of the
14th district. the judges have deter
, mined to do what they can in the
matter
The establishment of branch court
means simply that instead of one judge
holding court here at time, there will
| be two sessions of the circuit court
| The greater part of the time, two of the
! judges sitting at the same time. The
work in the other counties of this dis
, trict, Mercer, Henry and Whiteside, IS
| light, and requires the attention of the
judges only small portion of the time
required to dispose of the pressing
business here. The judges have not
determined as yet the allotment of the
work, but three judges will be able 20
devote their attention to this county
practically all of the time.
| Docket Is Heavy.
| With the constant and rapid in
crease in the population of the county,
and the development of the cities, the
work Of the courts has grown SO fast
THAT the judges have been unable TO
Keep apace. AS a result the circuit
court docket has been constantly grow
ing heavier, until now something like
| 7G0 cases are pending. The court is
in session here from 200 to go days
a year, and for several years an ear
nest effort has been made to clear up
the docket. and still the number in
Creases.
| The decision to hold a branch court
will be very gratifying to the attor-
lneys and to the people who have liti.
cation pending. 1t now requires sew.
eral years to bring case to trial, and
1
courts when appealed, the time is of
ten extended to seven Or even IL
Years.
Require Another Room.
The judges gave some consideration
this morning to the matter Of ROOM
to be used by the branch court, but g
decision was not reached, and the mat
ter will be taken up with the commit
ltee of the board of supervisors il:
charge of the building The judges
considered three available rooms, thu
county court room. the supervisors
room and the grand jury room. The
lgreater part of the work of the count.
court is disposed of in the Judge:
office and the court room would D,
available most of the time. The super
visors' room would be convenient. bu
many changes would be required. Thu
Judges seem to favor the grand jur,
room, and as it already is devoted e
the use of part of the circuit court
there would probably be less objection
would be made in the case of eithe
of the other two rooms.
No More Clerks.
Mr. Gamble stated today that Will,
there would be many details to worl
Tout in arranging for a branch court, h
believes that it will require no add
ltions to his Office force, and that h
Twill be able to attend to the sessions
of both courts as he attends to the on
now. This could be arranged by nean
of push button. SO that he could b
fsummoned by the Judge III he. Sen
needed in either court. One additions
bailiff will of course be required
Il The question Of sae ADJ l91sl mas
{ lterin-chancery nas mot i,e.sn fsken up
5 tbut 1t is likely that no regular maste
] lwill be appointed but that speeds
masters will be named to hear ind