The San Francisco call., 1909-09-13
BLAMES LACK OF JUDGES
FOR DELAY IN TRIALS
Local Attorney Says Two More
Jurists Are Needed

Editor Call-Sir In your issue of last Tues
day September T. 1909. there appears an arti-
Gle by Hon. George A. Sturteyant judge of de-
partment of the superior court of this city and
county in reference to the delays that obtain
in our courts In regard to the trial of cases.
/ desire to say III reference to this matter
that the learned Judge of that court Is in error
wherein he states that any criticism has been
directed against his department of the superior
court by the writer. On the contrary ! desire
to state in reference TO Judge Sturtevant that
he has kept full faith with the people of this
city as far as his promises are concerned with
regard to the expedition OF procedure IN his de-
partments In simple justice to Judge Sturte-
want it should be said that he is one OF the
hardest working judges on the bench. and II all
the judges should show the same spirit as that .a
manifested by Judge stnrfevant the congestion
a great deal of the delay now occasioned in
our superior courts Is due to the reluctance OF
certain judges to accept jury departments
Nearly all the cases of an urgent nature wherein
people of moderate means are interested are
Jury cases and the unwillingness and in fact
the refusal of certain judges to accept jury de-
partments has caused an undue congestion in
the trial of these cases. While the evil would
be lessened somewhat If there were two more
iury departments it would not be relieved alto
gether 1t has been demonstrated mathemati-
cally that the present number OF judges. even
If they worked l2 hours day. could not handle
the vast volume of business, both new and un-
finished which is now pending in our courts
There has been no increase OF superior judges
since 1879 In San Francisco, although the popu-
lation has nearly trebled In that time
One of the greatest evils at the present time
under our judicial system is the long delay that
ensues after case has been tried and submit
ted and before the decision is reached. / am
personally familiar with many that have
been submitted for six, eight and 10 months
and no decision arrived at. In many of these
cases where the ltigants were in moderate
means the result Is of great hardship.
The evil of taking cases under submission is
one that has assumed appalling proportions and
should be remedied by the judges on their own
notion.
names be given with reference to individual
cases of delay and individual judges who are
at fauIt in these matters l have no desire to
criticise any individual judge to mention
any names for the reason that am firmly of
the belief that the present bench not handle
tle great volume of litigation that flows
through our courts at the present time. l ,in-
derstand that the Judges are now taking the
matte under serious consideration and devising
wavs and means for relieving the present con-.
ditions and that measures will be shortly adopt
ed looking to that end. or if all these
measures of relief fail it may become neces-
sary to give some statistics that will include
the names Of some Of our judges and also
history of some Individual cases of delay
have the honor to remain, very respectfully.
yours. >. M. tOSTElLO.
San Francisco. September H. 1909.
People who. think they are the whole
thing are entitled to another think