Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-11-11
] uriSt Leaves Criminal
Court Bench for Private
Practise.

Presiding Judge Thomas A. Davis, of
the Essex County Criminal Court,
sprung big surprise today when he
made the announcement that he had
forwarded his resignation to Governor
Woodrow Wilson, with the request that
1t be accepted, to take effect Saturday,
December 0, at noon.
1t was reported at the Court House
that Governor Wilson would appoint
Senator Harry v. Osborne, Louis
Hood or Judge Thomas j. Lintott
to succeed Judge Davis. 1t was
the consensus of opinion that Mr. Hood
would not take it, and that Senator
Osborne would be rendered the place,
as political reward because of his
recent defeat. 1t was rumored that the
Governor had practically promised the
job to Osborne, despite the public
criticism voiced against the bank
rupt expert
At the time Judge Davis was ap-
pointed Messrs. Hood and Lintott were
prominently mentioned Osborne was
not thought of. Mr. Hood and Judge
Lintott are as eligible today as they
We're in 1908, but Governor Wilson may
favor Senator Osborne because of his
political support
The STAR tried to get Senator Os-
bornes sentiments in the matter.
Il won't talk to the STAR" was the
defeated senator's remark, sent to the
reporter through clerk. That's jucp
what he said to the STAR the day after
election. when asked what he had to
say about the election.
Not an inkling that Judge Davis had
any such intention had been heard
around the Court Houseiand much sur
prise and regret was expressed when
the news became known.
The reason given by Judge Davis for
resigning his $1,000 year position is
that pressure of private law business
has become so heavy that he finds he
cannot attend to both his judicial work
and his office practise. Judge Davis
is a member of the firm of Howe &
Davis, with offices in Main street, Or
ange, and the business of the firm is
very heavy.
Judge Davis informed Governor Will
son a month ago Of his intention to re-
sign in order to give the governor
plenty of time to look over the field
and pick out his successor. The formal
letter of resignation was mailed a
couple of days ago, and it is under
stood has been accepted by the gov
ernor. None of these things became
public until today.
Judge Davis says that since he as
scended the bench he has endeavored
to keep his court work up to date and
at the same time keep as much of his
private practise and was compatible
with his position on the bench He
says he finds that his private practise
has grown so heavily that he finds 1t |
physical impossibility to keep up
both the Judicial and Office work, and
prefers to abandon the bench for his
private practise.
Judge Davis was appointed to the |
bench by Governor j. Franklin Fort
under a new law giving the courts two
judges He took office May IL, 1905. |
His term of Office dated from April / |
1909, and was for five years at n |
salary of $500 year. expiring on April |
/. 1914, SO that he still had almost two |
and half years to serve. He took |
Office in May, 1908, because the courts
were so crowded
Judge Davis was well liked by all
lawyers with whom he had dealings
as well as by the court attendants. He
was noted for fearlessness and fairness
in his dealings with lawyers and pris-
oners, and was always careful to con-
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