The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1912-10-25
EXTRA JUDGE AMENDMENT
DEMANDS HEARTY SUPPORT.
upon Its Passage Depends Ability of
judicial System to Keep Dockets
Clear.


amendments that are to be voted upo1
at the November 5th election, one o.
the most important to the people of thi.
sectlon OF the state is the one permit
ing an Increase in the number of dis
trlct courts. This amendment will be
NO. Is on the list and ought to be votet
ior by every voter of the Fifteenth
judicial District, as tits of the utmost
Importance to the people of this district
that we be permitted to elect another
Judge in this district.
When you consider that for man,
years the Judge of this district has
oeen dlsposing OF approximately l,OO(
cases per year. That he has had to ex
lend his Jurisdiction over the parishes
or Calcasieu and Cameron, in each OF
which ne has been obliged to hold two
terms OF court per year, it is not to bs
wondered at that judicial proceedings
nave at times seemed to lag, and eur
]alls have become contested with cases
that were entitled to a more speedy
trial. With such conditions prevailing,
lnsplte Of the fact that judicial bench of
this district has been occupied by men
OF very high standard OF ability and
energy. when the Judge had but two
parishes to preside over, and but two
sets OF grand jurors to instruct, and
but four terms OF court to hold annu.
ally, what can be expected now that the
same Judge will have FIVE parishes to
preside over, FIVE Grand Juries to in.
struct, and TEN terms of court to hold
annually.
In this connection the New Orleans
Plcayune says: 1T was so obviously i'm.
possible for single Judge to hold the
two annual terms for the trial OF cases
in each parish in the district under the
new dispensation, hear preliminary pro.
ceedipgs in criminal cases and look after
the other matters connected with litiga.
ton that the Legislature voted to sub.
nit to the people an amendment to the
constitution providing for an additional
Judge for the Fifteenth district. The
district aside from comprising five par.
ishss, is geographically one Of the
largest in the state, with a big popula.
ton and larger industrial and CONNER
cial interests probably than any other
district outside OF the city Of New Or.
leans. A single Judge, no matter how
active and Industrious, would find it i'm.
possible to hold the two terms demand.
ed by law in each parish, impanel and
instruct the grand juries Of each parish
and consider the increased number of
presentments that will be sure to be
made by the enlarged number of grand
luries. An additional Judge for the dis.
trict is therefore imperatively neces.
airy, a fact which voters all over the
state would do we'll to remember when
voting on the amendments at the No.
vember election"
In spite of the fact that we are, as a
rule opposed to any amendment that
looks for the increase of offices, be.
lieving that the state at the present
time is overburdened with political jobs
this case is an EXCEPTION, and this
amendment not only ought, but MUST
be ratified by the voters of the state, if
the channels of Justice in this Judicial
District are not to become hopelessly
clogged. Let me urge upon every
reader of the JOURNAL to BE SURE
AND VOTE FOR THIS AMENDMENT,
Remember it is No. Is.