The Detroit times., 1913-01-02
Members of Local Branch Work
on Average Two Hours
a Day
HATE HEARING CASES IN
AFTERNOON, SAYS LAWYER
"WOuldn't Take Chance on Ask
ing for Trial at 2 p. M"
Says One Attorney

lnBs Ony Vho OF DeIIoltb louI Juet'So
courts was in session. case was
being tried before Justice Jones. JUS
tices DeGaw and Lemkie were in their
ofioes. with nothing TO do, Justice
OFT was at home, sick. His clerk had
called the cases set for Thursday, and
put them oveI to another date
A justice OF the peace receives So
900 q year, OF about $40 a day. and
works. according TO attorneys faTlllar
with me justice courts, fully two
hours a day, ON an averatSe SJdsIlce
Jones, they say, works longer. he IS
filing the unexpired term OF The late
Justice John B. Teagan, and will hold
ONCE until July 4. He succeeded JUS
tice Edward Command, who was ap-
pointed as Teagan's successor, failed
TO run In the election to I'LL the va
cancy, and was elected for the new
term beginning July 4. Jones. the
lawyers say, wants TO make record
that will entisie him to run for the
ONCE In the fall election OF 1914
Dec. 81, Justice LemlIie called 81
cases. or these, As wCe continued.
Justice DeGaw had 10S on his docket,
and continued 90 OF them TO some III
ture date. Justice OFT had l13. and IL
Is almost impossible TO tell from the
wretchedly written docket (the clerks
claim that they are overworked and
must write in haste) how many cases
were disposed of. Justice Jones got
rid OF about half OF his 102 cases
The justices will claim II they are
asked that the cases which were set
ever for future trial were postponed
ut the request OF attorneys or clients
who were not ready to proceed The
attorneys come back with the answer
that delay has become SO customary
that very few Of them take the trouble
10 prepare for a trial before three
weeks or a month has elapsef from
the time the action was brought.
Thus it is that. while vast amount
OF business has piled UP in the justice
courts, the justices are idle after two
hours OF work.
They don't like to work In the AZ
ternoon," said one lawyer II wouldn't
take the risk OF asking justice 10
call q case fer 2 o'clock"
So the cases go over, week after
week until some OF them are dis
missed because one party or tho other
fails to appear In court, or settle
ment Is arranged. or for some other
reason they disappear from the
docket.
JuRtice Lemkie's work on Dec. 81,
ns shown by the docket, was: Tried,
three cases; dismissed, Il; "nle case"
az cases are marked which are no
longer TO be kept on the current dock
ct. IL. Justice OFT tried 10 cases on
Dec. 27: Justice DeGaw, six, on Dec.
81; Justice Jones, five. Dec 81 was
considered heavy day.
The oldest case tried by Justice OFT
had been hanging fire since Sept. 20
IL had been postponed nine times.
On the other hand, one case brought
on the very day was tried, ncause
the parties were In court and ready,
and the court had nothing more i'm
portant to do.
Meanwhile case Non27 00S was con
tinued by Justice OFT until Jan z. IL
was started, apparently, on April IL,
or about that time, to judge ty It's
number: for on the docket II cant De
located. Il was in existence Arril "a,
when II was continued until May '.
II has probably been called score OF
times
Justice Iemkie tried one case which
had been started week before. But
there were others on the docket which
were not tried, such as No. 53,4l4.
brought Aug. 80. and still! going on,
being continued until Jan. Z. after IA
postponemerts. Case No. 54.l!l was
dismissed. after il had taken from
Oct. 10 TO get TO the head OF the
docket Most OF the cases which were
continued into January were a month
old.
Justice DeGaw tried one case that
started about Aug Is. Judgins from
the file number although no entry
appears on the carelessly kept jccket
ON that date. On the other hand case
No. 5S.612 was tried on the day II
was brought Cases No. 54,694 and
5I.695. brought June %, were Sill go
ing on, and were continued until Jan.
%.
The Oldest case tried by Justice
Jones had been on the docket for one
week. On the other hand. there was
a case still being continued that was
begun In the closing days o! 1911.
Another, No. 1886, had been started
Jan. 20, 1912, and was continued un-
III Jan. IA, 1913. The docket shows
that Justice Jones has made du evil
dent attempt TO hasten the tt's, OF
cases brought under his own regime.
LAWYERS explain that they have
their cases postponed so as tp bring
them near the head of the docket.
They say that they cannot afford 20
spend their time waiting for case
far down on the list to be calico. They
have taeir cases postponed from week
to week, in the hope, which Is usually
justified, that cases ahead of theirs
VIII be disposed OF, so that their case
will be called at the opening of court,
or shortly after. They claim mat II
the justices would assign more cases
for the afternoon session Of court,
more work would be done add JUS.
tice would be nastened.
They also claim that, tired OF delay.
many parties settle their cases out
eide of court, thereby relieving ths
Justices OF considerable work.
~Cnents find that they canno' af-
ford 10 bring their witnesses tc court
dav after day, only to have the JUS
tice continue tie case until next week
because they don't care to hear any
more on that Jay" lyawyers explain.
"
Hovs iust out OF school are trained
nv the London county council to be-
come chefs and walters. Not long
ago n luncheon TO 100 visitors was
both cooked and served by the boys
- tranfnad