Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-11-21
NEED OF REFORM IN THE MAT
TER OF COURT COSTS.

Il Is strange that in this day OF re-
forms no one has set on foot we'll
defined movement looking to "a reduc-
ton of the outrageously high costs
incident to an appeal from the lower
courts OF virginia to the State Su-
preme Court. Under the present sys-
TEN. "a poor man who loses suit In
the lower courts practically is de-
priyed OF the right Of an appeal He
is helpless, unless some accommo'
dating legal firm is willing. like Dob
son & Fogg. to look after his inter-
est ION spec
In the first place. the costs In all
courts OF record are higher than they
should be. BY the time a litigant
loses In the Corporation or Circuit
court he begins to think that an ap-
peal to the Supreme Court would be
100 much like playing the races or
risking his earnings in a bucket
shop" There is. say. ten thousand
dollars involved in a suit the hearing
OF which In the lower court has ex-
tended over a considerable length OF
time and in which voluminous lot
OF dispositions have been taken. What.
with his lawyers fees. the losing It'll
CANT probably has involved himself to
the extent of about thousand dol
lars when verdict is rendered
against him in the trial court. Then
his counsel tells him that the costs
OF an appeal may be about two or
three thousand dollars more. No one
can tell how a lawsuit will result.
aud the decision of the lower court
puts the odds against the appellant.
SO even a man who has the two or
three thousand dollars to pay IN the
event he should finally lose will think
awhile before going into an appeal
The man who has not the TWO or
three thousand simply has to Quit.
unless his counsel happens to be
given TO champerty practice.
This state OF affairs should not be
allowed to exist and, as was said in
the beginning. the wonder is that
somebody has net made an effective
attempt to change the conditions.
However, the average citizen is not,
particularly interested in court az
fairs until he gets into court himself.
then il is too late for any plan of re-
form 20 help him in the matter OF
costs. When he Is out OF court again
he has talked himself dry or the sub
jet. and proceeds to forget all about
it,
II would seem that the State Bar
Association would be the natural and
rSopcr organization to undertake and
push through this needed reform. The
lawyers as a body probably are more
Influential than any other set OF men
in public Affairs. and they are the
cslly ones actually competent 10 sug-
gest means by which the evils can De
eliminated No doubt this matter has
been discussed on the Hoor OF the as
ISOLATION. and 1t may be that resoiu-
Cons have been passed and commit
tees appointed But the body never
has taken up the reform with any de-
eree Of determination. OF there would
have been results
In ore particular, At least. Il would
~ easy 10 reduce the cost Of appeals
Tho printing item. which alone makes
up a considerable portion Of what the
:zymsn vaguely knows as costs. "
-ou'd Be cut down to minimum and.
IN some instances. possibly. eiiminst-
ed. Tbs Law nov requires that the
F~co7s in every case appealed 10 the
ssprcmc Court shall b. printed. type