Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-01-11
ROBERTS CHOSEN
Chief JUSTICE
Parker Given Long Term
of Nine Years and Hanna
Seven Years
NEW STATE SUPREME COURT
Dignified and Impressive Cere.
monies Last Evening at
the Capitol.

the AdCltCi,
! Hear Ye! Hear Ye. The honor
! able Supreme Court of the Territory
of New Mexico is adjourned sine die. 3"
! With these words spoken by [reneo
Chaves, deputy United States marshal,
the court which existed for sixty
years, closed its records and passed
away forever.
! The impressive ceremony Of swear
| ing in the new Supreme Court of the
State of New Mexico drew large
crowd last night to the Supreme Court
room in the capitol. Shortly before
the judges of the territorial Supreme
Court took their places on the bench,
the judges-elect cast lots, which gave
item the following classification, ac-
cording to length of term: Clarence J.
Roberts Che short term of five years,
Richard H. Hanna, seven years. and
Frank W. Parker the long term of
nine years. Judge Roberts having
dl laWn the short term was thereby
made chief Justice. The respective
terms We're written on slips of paper
which were tossed into hat; Judge
Hanna drew first, Judge Parker next
and Judge Roberts last.
AT $50 O'Clock, the judges of the
territorial Supreme Court took their
places on the bench with John R.
NcFie presiding in the place of Chief
Justice William n. Pope who is alb
sent at Washington. D. C. This ar
rdngement was a fitting compliment
to Judge McFie in RECOGNITION Of his
eighteen years of service On the su-
preme bench of the Territory Be
SIDES Judge McF'ie, Frank W. Parker,
Edward R. Wright and Clarence j.
Roberts, associate justices were pres
ent William H. Pope, chief justice,
Ira A. Abbott and Merritt c. Mechem,
associate justices, were absent.
After the opening of the court,
Judge McFie spoke briefly and IN ap-
p!opriate terms of the record of the
old court and of his qualification that
the old regime had given place to a
newer and more popular one. After
presenting the regrets of the absent
members of the territorial court at
their inability to attend, in part he
said es.. -....
Existed sixty Years.
THE territorial Supreme Court of
New Mexico has existed for sixty
lyears but it meets tonight in final ses-
sion. In few minutes its record will
be closed and it will adjourn sine die.
1.-THE members of the court about to
pass away are gratified that yopular
government has come to the Terri
tory. They give place to state court
which the retiring court welcomes and
wishes well.
The Territorial Supreme Court has
always stood high in the estimation
Of the Supreme Court of the United
States. Few of its decisions have
been reversed by the United States
Supreme Court. Judge Henry B.
Brown of the Supreme Court of the
United States, once said, at a dinner
given in the house of L. Bradford
Prince, ex-governor of the Territory,
that New Mexico was to be congratu-
lated on the work accomplished by it's
appellate court"
In closing, Judge McFfe extended
the congratulations of the retiring
judges to their worthy successors and
wished them success in the admins
tration of justice in the new state.
Oath Administered.
! At the close of the remarks, Judge
McFfe called on the judges-elect to
| take their places before the Bar and
| the oath was administered. Judge
| Roberts stood in the center with
Judge Hanna and Judge Parker to the
right and left respectively. The oath
was repeated in concert. The final
minutes of the territorial court We're
then read and approved and the men,
bers of the retiring court filed out
and the members of the new State
Supreme Court took their places on
the bench.
! The first session of the new court
was then opened by Supreme Court
Clerk Jose D. Sena. he being chosen
again, and John R. McFie, Jr., being
selected for bailiff The court then
took a recess until 10 o'clock a. m,
January II.
Final Entry.
The final entry in the record book
Of the Territorial Supreme Court
reads as follows:
Third day, Wednesday, January
10 A. D., 1912. The court met pur-
sUant to adjournment. Prese ent:
Honorable John R. McFie; Honorable
Frank w. Parker; Honorable Edward
r. Wright; Honorable Clarence J.
Roberts. Minutes of Thursday, Janu-
ary 4, were read and approved"
Associate Justice John R. McFie,
after making some appropriate re-
marks administered the oath of Of.
! fee to the newly elected justices Of
the Supreme Court of the State Of
New Mexico, Honorable Clarence ].
Roberts, Honorable Richard H. Hanna
and Honorable Frank w. Parker. 1t is
ordered that the court do now adjourn
! sine die
The signature of John R. McFie, As.
scciate Justice, follows.
Supreme Court Reporter.
i There are at present twenty.four
cases on the calendar for the new