Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-01-08
Two Bills Seek to Elimin-
ate Congestion Of
Docket.
Would Increase the Num-
ber of Judges in DIFF
ferent Ways,

OKLAHOMA CITY, Jan. THE
second day Of the session of the leg
islature saw two measures introduced
with a view to relieving the stress
upon the supreme court one Of these
bills is by John Wright Of oklahoma
county. and seeks to secure the sery-
ices as additional supreme court COM
missioners of as many as nine dis
trict judges in divisions of three, who
shall prepare opinions and decide
cases subject to the approval OF the
supreme court in the same manner
that the supreme court commission
now does.
The bill specifically declares that
the measure is not intended TO sup
plant the present supreme court COM
mission, but Is to be an added facility
for catching up with an overcrowded
docket. 1t is provided that If as many
as nine district judges are not avail
able at any time six may be sum
moned. and II six cannot be had,
three may sit The bill provides that
the Judges so serving shall receive no
additional mpensation. but shall be
allowed travelling and subsistence eX-
penses while on the detail to the su-
preme court.
Assist the Court.
Mr.. Wright estimates that this
measure, If adopted. will make IL pos
sible for district judges to assist the
supreme court from time TO time Just
as they assist each other by designa-
ton OF the chief Justice at this time.
There are always several district
judges available for this service. and
II is considered probable that nine will
be at work on the supreme court
docket part Of the time and six most
OF the time, while 1t is reasonably
certain that three judges will be avail
able practically all Of the time.
| Under the law as 1t exists the SUI
preme court commission will cease
after February II a law be not enacted
continuing It, II Us expected that this
will be done bv some other bill to be
! introduced at an early date.
Increase Members.
The other bill introduced the Sec
ond day of the session Is by n. b.
Maxey of Muskogee. 1t provides for
increasing the supreme court to nine
members. with the necessary redis-
tricting of the state. There are now
five justices OF the supreme court.
! Under the Maxev bill the governor
would appoint four more members TO
serve ulllI tlt ktHtIul tltNllbI III
1916, when elections shall be held.
1t is provided that election for justices
OF the supreme court shall be so ar
ranged that three of the justices shall
be chosen every two years for siX-year
terms. The bill provides that a ma
jority of the justices of the supreme
court shall constitute a quorum and
concurrence OF a majority shall be-
necessary to decide anv question.
| An interesting feature of the bill is
the districting, which Is as follows:
First district-Ottawa, Craig, No
wata, Washington, Rogers, Tulsa,
Mayes. Delaware and Usage.
Second district-Wagoner. Chero-
kee. Adair. Sequoyah, Muskogee, Nc
lntosh. Okmulgee, Okfuskee and
! Creek.
Third district-Pittsbur Latimer,
Haskell. LeFlore, Atoka, Pushmataha,
McCurtain. Choctaw and Bryan.
Fourth district 49, Pottawat m / e
Seminole, Hughes. Pontotoc Johnston,
Coal. Marshall and Lincoln.
Fifth district-Love Carter, Muir
ray. Garvin. McClain. Grady Stephens
and Jefferson.
Sixth district - Cleveland, okla
homa, Logan, Payne. Kingfsner.
Canadian. Blaine and Pawnee.
Seventh district-Kay Grant, Gar
field, Noble, Major, Alfalfa and
! Woods.
Eighth dlstrict-Caddo, Comanche.
Cotton. Tillman. Jackson, Harmon,
Greer, Kiowa, Beckham and Washits.
Ninth district - Custer. Dewey.
Roger Mills, Ellis, Woodward. Harper,
Beaver, Texas and CimarrOn.
The law provides that the justices
shall be elected by the qualified voters
Of the state at large and no elector
shall vote for more than one justice
for each district. This is a provision
Of the present law with reference to
election of the supreme court.
If this bill should become a law the
governor would have the appointing
Of justices In the Second. Fourth, Sew
enth and Ninth districts as the dis
tricts In which none OF the justices
Of the present court reside.