The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-02-25
ATTORNEYS MUST Be READY
Judge Belden Notifies the Clerk Of the
Court to Provide New Calendar Rule
to Force Cases to Trial at Time Set
by the Calendar Of the Court

Clerk of the Circuit Court b. NJ
DeDiemar is now busy making up the
calendar for the March term of the cir
cult court and while the calendar may
not contain a great number of cases it
is going to be one of particular inter
est to the members of the bar in Ke-
nosha county. For years-so many
that the memory of the oldest citizen
is not to the contrary-there have been
delays In bringing cases to trial in
Kenosha county and q new rule is to
be promulgated in the March calendar
which will have the effect of stimulat-
ing trials in the circuit court of Ke-
nosha county. The exact wording of
the new rule has not as yet been made
up, but it is certain that it will be suf-
ficiently strong TO do away with the
delays that have been no noticeable in
the past. To use the words of one Of
the leading officials of the court Hthis
matter of accommodation has reached
; the stage of abuse and we've got to
have reform"
NANbVAhV)S utNC dOOub IGdCnCu bHS
point where they pay little or no at
tention to the place where a case APP
pears on the calendar and the abuse has
grown to such an extent that it has
proven costly to the people of the coun-
ty. Jurors can not be called without ex-
pense and when jurors are called with
no cases ready for them to hear the
expense on the county is considerable.
one. Judge Belden has used every pcs
sible weapon except hard and fast
rule to force some of the attorneys
TO appear in court and try cases for
which they have been retained, but
even with these efforts the attorneys
have found way to creep away from
trials so that In many cases great
deal of the time of the court has beer
dissipated in listening to the excuses
of attorneys. This time could have
been proftably employed in the hear
ing of cases.
AT the present time the calendar is
pretty we'll cleaned up, but there are
perhaps twenty cases which should have
been tried at the last term. Judge
Belden has come to Kenosha day af-
ter day to hear these cases, but the
attorneys were not ready. They hint
ed at settlements or suggested that a
later date would be more agreeable for
the trial of the cases. The Judge was
to have come to Kenosha on Wednes-
day to hear cases, but today he was
notified by the clerk that there were no
cases ready to be heard at that time.
In many circuits and especially in
the larger cities a hard and fast rule
is made to govern the calling of the
calendar and If cases are not ready for
'Grial when called the court uses his
discretion in dismissing the cases. 1t
is not improbable that such rule will
be in force in this circuit with the
opening of the March term. Many of
the attorneys in the city who are
prompt in their trial of cases, would
welcome such rule, but it will I'M
doubtedly meet with criticism by some
of the lawyers who prefer to try cases
at their leisure rather than at the
pleasure of the court.
In other circuits of the state the
new rule of following the calendar
strictly will aid materially in expedit-
ing the work of the court. People who
have business in the court will be glad
to known that Judge Belden is to en-
force the new rule.