The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-03-25
MANY Want
CITY COURT
Special Election is Called For
Tuesday, April S, in
Rapid City.
FEATURES OF MUNICIPAL COURT SUMMARIZED
Many Claim It a Saving over Justice
System In City and County
elbow Plan Operates.

Believing that q municipal court
should be established in Rapid City,
friends of the plan have prevailed
upon the city council to call spec
ial election for Tuesday, April S, when
an expression of voters will be had.
The call was issued at a special session
of the council Wednesday evening,
presided over by Councilman Dodge.
The same election organization SO far
as officers and voting places are con-
cerned, as at the election last week,
was selected.
A petition calling for an election
on the question of establishing mu-
nicipal court in Rapid City was pre-
sented to Auditor A. X. Thomas on
Tuesday afternoon, signed by 100
voters representative of the various
interests of the city. The petition is
presented in accordance with the law
regulating such matters.
Chapter 176 of the session laws of
South Dakota (l9OY conveys the right
to any. city which has or shall have
5000 inhabitants, and to any county
seat which has or shall have 1900 in
habitants, if the citizens may SO elect.
In case it is SO decided by affirmative
vote judge of such court shall be
elected at the next annual election
to be held in said city and every four
years thereafter. Such judge shall be
installed the first Monday following
his election and continue to preside
until his successor is elected and quail
flied. The-position to be filled by a
practicing attorney. The salary Is.
fixed by law according to population.
III city Of 5000 1t is o., 200 and $50
per additional thousand or major
fraction thereof, but shall in no in
stance exceed $1,000 per annum, such
compensation to be in full for all serv-
Ices rendered. The salary is paid by
the city and county-half the amount
by each. All fees go to city and coun-
ty, according to class of cases from
which they are collected.
Notices calling such an election, to
secure an expression, shall be the same
as for any election and it shall be con-
Quoted accordingly at each voting pre-.
cfnct. In case of vacancy it shall be
filled by the mayor, city council or
other governing body making the ap-
pointment.
The population of city is deter
mined by. multiplying the aggregate
vote cast at the last election for gov
ernor by five. This method also OBJ
tains as means of determining salary
Of presiding officer. The duties of
such court are to try all cases where
the damages asked do not exceed $500,
render itself continuously in session,
hearing all police cases, those hereto
fore In the jurisdiction of justices of
the peace and minor cases of circuit
court, all of which may be heard with
the least delay and minimum time.
Ralph Parliman of Sioux Falls Wis.,
lied WATERFOWL last week for the pur-
pose Of finding out how the municipal
court In force there was working. He
makes the following statements:
The municipal court is working like
acharm in Watertown. It is saving
money for the county of Codington
and the city of WATERFOWL and when,
1 say it is saving money for those two
subdivisions of the state, mean that
II Is saving money for the taxpayers
Of that county and city.
about forty per cent of the civil
business of Codington county is now
transacted in the municipal court at
WATERFOWL. All cases involving not
more than $500 come within its jur.
fsdiction. Once In each month there
lisa jury summoned and all cases which
require trial by jury are tried at that
time.
IL you have . suit against man
which involves $500 or less, you can
have it tried in the municipal court
and you do not have to wait until the
circuit court meets to geta settlement
OF the trouble.
ut has done away with all city
justices and with all county justices
OF the peace who had offices in Water
town. It deals with all infractions of
city ordinances. Every petty viola
tion Of law or q city ordinance isdealt
with In that court.
THE fees of justices do not have to
be paid and in WATERFOWL, that means
that sl,sO0 Of the $4,000 which Is paid
the judge of the municipal court, is
secured without any extra levying OF
taxes.
The deputy city auditor acts as
clerk Of the municipal court In Wa.
tertown, the ordinances Of the city
providing that he shall do SO. The
court room is in the city hall and the
court Is conducted just as any court is