University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1912-04-11

| Inc case mas been set in this stu
dent practice court as in regula
courts. Professor +. W. Hinton ha.
given out the case and the points t,
be covered by the aspiring law stu
dents. The case has been dOcketed
The court cOnvenes at 2 O'Clock il
the afternoon. The seniors in tn,
School of Law must attend to ge
not they have any part in the case
After they have filed in the prOfes
sor approaches the bench, which il
like the bench in most courts, a sta
ltiOnary desk for massive docket
books and a revolving chair for the
judges seat. In this miniature court
room at the University of Missouri
the lawyers have the same kind OF
working equipment as the real court
Tables in an enclosure are reserved
for their use. The clerk is on hand
for swearing in the witnesses and
keeping records. The clerk in this
court is also stenOgrapher. The
practical court stenographer who
studies law here gets work in his
line.
| Judge Hinton. who founded this
practical court laboratory for Mis-
souri, students. looks on the docket.
He calls for the decision of the spe-
cial judge on the last case tried on
Tuesday or Thursday previous, as the
| case may be. The student Judge
opens a voluminous document which
contains his lengthy opinion of an
equity case. The court StenOgrapher
had given him copy of all the testi-
mony which the judge himself had
heard. The judge usually has a week
TO pore over the testimony, refer to
law books and work out his decision.
After the opinion is given the gen.
uine fun of the work begins.
The attorneys have taken their
respective seats and eye each other.
Judge Hinton chooses a special Judge
10 act as the jury. He glanced at
the students in this miniature court
room.
MIR. Boisseau, will you act as
judge" said Professor Hinton.
Your Honor, Mr.. BOisseau is a
witness for the plaintiff" objected
student lawyer who had jumped to
his feet. The court spectators
laughed. Professor Hinton. the
dean-elect of the School of Law,
smiled The students had already
worked up their testimony to bring
out the points in the case and certain
men had to be witnesses.
We'll, Mr. Douglas, are you con-
nected with this case?" asked Mr..
Hinton.
Mr.. Douglas was not and cOnse-
luently he sat by the professor and
he case was begun. The counsel for
the plaintiff of course stated his case.
ii was a slander title case. 1t was
not necessary for the sheriff to be
On hand. The sheriff i'm this student
practice court is Dan NJ. Nee After
the case has been stated the Judge
called for the attorneys to proceed
with the evidence.
The occasion for the plaintiff to
sue for damages in this slander title |
case was that he had purchased the |
University barber shop and had been |
prevented from selling it by the ac-
tiOn of the owner of the building. |
rhe plaintiff was termed Mr.. ThOmp-
son. He was supposed to have
bought this business from Green and |
smith who had had five year lease
or the building and had the signed
rental contract with the signature of |
the owner. Thomas Brown. attached.
Before the time was out on the con-
tract the sale of the shop had taken
place. Thompson got in tight
place as far as money was concerned
and had to borrow by giving a
mortgage. He had supposed he was
u get the benefit of the lease at $40
a month rent for the space in the
The contract. however,
Iad not been turned over to him be-
'ause the other two signers, Smith
and Green, had not found it.
Things went worse for Thompson
in the University barber shop. He
.ould not pay off the mortgage He
made an effort to sell. The pros
pccrivo buyer was found and they
went to the bank to have loan
made to the buyer so he could have
nnOugh to pay off the mortgage and
give Thompson some. The cashier