New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-16
CALLS COURTS SW|NDLES
Justice Seaman. at City Club,
Attacks System.
SAYS POOR MAN SUFFERS
Declares Judicial Partially in
Municipal Courts Leads
to Anarchy.

In the course of speech before the
City Club Yesterday afternoon In which
he was vigorously opposed by Justice
Frederick Spiegelberg. Justice Alfred p.
W. Seaman declared that the municipal
courts OF the city were an "anachronism."
mad varying standards OF procedure FOR
the rich and poo:. and that they should be
abolished
The municipal OF poor mans court g
swindle on the poor man" said Justice
seaman. FOR YOU can't expect judges to
do as good work when they are limited TO
the consideration of cases concerning rela-
lively small sums as when they are al
lowed to handle cases involving sums Of
all sizes. The men YOU can secure TO do
, that sort of work will he inferior to those
who could be obtained il II were known
that cases Of great importance might he
| brought before them. Again, the limi,a-
ton " the work Of the municipal court 10
only one kind of litigation neccssitates
| tnC loss of much time. for litigants
often find. after waiting a month or 50
Tor their case TO come up. that they
have brought it to the wrong court:
1t has 10 be thrown out. and another
month. perhaps more. Is wasted before IL
| comes up in another court. And delay. ii
must he remembered usually means an
! added expense. which Is a very serious
I ina tier to most of the litigants in the mu-
nicipal courts
THE municipal courts in 1911 had $500"
cases. the magistrates HOOD the SUI
preme Court only 1000: this would show
that the public is ABOUT sixteen times rs
much interested In the municipal as in
the Supreme Court. yet owing To the rea-
sons ! haze given It's work IS about half
as efficient as j. that Of the higher courts.
Ineificiency in the municipal courts leads
20 anarchy. fo' the immigrant judges the
country by tie way il administers Justice
If he is wronecl by the courts. even
though the wrong he unintentional. hs
grows as bitter toward this country as he
is toward the land from which injustice
drove him-perhaps hitterer. FOR he feels
that We have betrayed his ideai
When ! came 10 the bench nine years
ago conditions We're disgrace: the courts
were totally inadequate g. their work.
Three years later the passage of bili
supported by Governor hughes divided the
borough into nine districts and provided
enough judges Since then various i'm
proyomcnts have been made until the mu-
nicipal court i'm New York If the best ~
the country. with the exception OF that In
Chicago in that court however. cases in
vo.ying all sums are tried, with the result
of Increased efficiency. Increased speed
and decreased expense.
Justice Spiceelbcrg said that one court
FOR large and small cases WAS desirable
but not possible Tor d generation at least.
Il don't think that there's one justice
for the rich and another for the poor. as
Justice Seaman would imply" he said. 1t
is my experience that an equal brand OF
Justice is meted out Ia all courts regard
less Of the wealth OF the litgants. .>s =
matter Of fact the municipa! courts are
the poor mans courts only in name: Ne
have very fcw poor litlgan's IN our court.
The completely Of the procedure. which
they don't understand. and which the
Judge himself often doesn't understand.
keeps them out The procedure should Ice
simplihed We hear OF the 'unmpor-
lance OF the cases tried in the municipal
courts. The notion is false. Many Of the
actions are brought 10 test the attitude OF
the court on certain questions whose go
luton will give the cue. frequently for Tar
heavier litigation.
Perjury is very frequent IN the munich
pal courts. one Of the saddcst duties a
Judge can perform IL give judgment
without knowing whether IL be right or
wrong How TO obViate perjury | don't
know. The system OF trial by combat has
survived from the Middle Ago.. only to
day 1t is a trial by brain instead Of brute
force often the rogue appears 10 be hon
est ana The honest man the rogue. ! ASK
Won 10 be char!taba In Judging ". for no
matter how high a mans intentions he
vii! make many mistakes