The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-06-05
DOCKET IS NOT |
QUITE HOPELESS.
Estimates OF Cases Handled In
Supreme Court Point To Con-
summation Some Time
JUSTICE WORKING UNDER LASH

In the effort to aid the supreme
court 10 reduce the number uf the
rapidly accumunting cases ON the
docket and possibly bring about some
time when the high court could scc
Hight nhrnd through the heavy volume
Of business that has been before II
SINCE statehood, the legislature aud
tne governor have cu.Operutcd In NJ
iording facilities 10 accomplish this
desired object
Iiy n comparison " the number "
cases filed during Il given period aud
the number disposed ~ In the same
length uf time, with the rXtru help
To he added there is time coming,
VI the extra help Cnu br held long
enough when possibly the five mem
bcrs uf the court can keep up with the
business.
Six Commissions
From this time ON there will be-
twenty three members " the high
court, that Is the five regular mem.
ber, 0f the supreme court, and six
NNlllillNNl'llN VI llilff Il'lllilflM fu' w.
Members of the fifh aud sixth com.
missions, however. ARE only appointed
for about four months, hut II Is rN-
pectcd when their terms have eN
pired others may take their plnccs
80 that the work may 60 On Just the
sDmr
From figures secured at the office
Of the clerk Of the supreme court
some deductions might be- made bur.
Ing the two months from April to
June |, there were 26G decisions
handed down from the court This
represented the work " the five ~.
prcme court Justices and nine members
Of the commission During the same
time there were l3i new cases and
nine members ~ the commission AT
this time there are about 5000 c4ses
on the docket II Is said the court and
commissions have worked faster ID the
eases during III" last two months rhAn
II Is reasonable to suppose they could
during the next four for the reason
that In future there viii be many mo.
tions tu argue aud pass upon which
did not enter into the work ~ the past
two months, heCuuSr commissioners
were given cases In which there was
nothing to do hut write opinions ~.
Eighteen Months Ahead
Figuring the court will keep all the
commissions working, II would require
at least eighteen months tO clean M
the 1900 cases now on the books This
IL taking into consideration the fact
That ont NJ the cases disposed NJ
there Is certain number that Will
come back 10 the court on application
for rehenring In the event II rchear
ing II granted II brings the case up
for another action which must he an.
other opinion In the same matter
This proportion, however, Is estimated
nit more than one fifth Basing the
run Of new eases for the eighteen
months mentioned, on the record ~
lA new cnses filed during the two
months uf April and May, there would
probably be- 1000 eases on the docket
when the 5000 will have been disposed
VI. This would mean, however, that
all members ~ the court and the com.
missions would work practically all
the time. II is also taking into con.
siderntiOn, us stated, that II will be
impossible for the commissioners Ia
turn out work as rapidly as they have
In the past because their time must he
given to matters other than the mere
writing opinions.
Decrease In Filing Natural
According TO estimates made at the
office " the clerk NJ the supreme
court there may be- natural decrease
IN the filing NJ new cases, and this
would. " course, operate to the ad-
vantage VI the court During the first
four months " the present calendar
year Indications are that there will be
more than 2OO cases less filed this
year than last
During the warm summer months u
must be taken into consideration that
the work cannot hc handled nv rapidly
ns In the cooler season. These cir
cumstances have been considered, how.
ever, In arriving at the conclusion Hf.
furded from figures rs nearly correct
as can be l'certnlned
This applies only to the civil docket
OF the court