The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-13
CHAOS PREDICTED
 IN COUNTY COURTS F BILL IS PASSED
Birmingham Bar Goes on Record Against Reduc- tiOn in Number of,
 Judges

Resolutions protesting against the pas sage of the bill suggested by the egis- lative committee on judicial reform, in which the number of judges of the Jeff ferson county courts would be reduced and other changes made in reference to the courts, and urging the passage of the consolidated court bill, were .unani- mously passed at a mass meeting of the Birmingham bar, held yesterday at the county courthouse.
 Resolutions were also adopted provid- ing for the appointment of a committed from the bar to go to Montgomery and enter the protest in person and to oppose the cutting down of 'strikes'' in the selection of juries.
 Benners Chairman
 Augustus Benners was elected chair man. and Louis Berkowitz, secretary. In calling the meeting to order, MT. Benners enumerated some of the changes pro- posed by the committee on judicial re- form and urged immediate and decided action against the passage of the pro- posed measure
 H. IT. Sims spoke at length on the actions of the judicial reform committee,
 
 legislation SO far as the courts were con- cerned. He stated that in his opinion the bill proposed by the committee would create a condition of chaos in the courts of Jefferson county that would take years to overcome and that 1t was arbitrary and impossible
 Among the other speakers were Phares Coleman. F. H. Cabaniss, Leo Oberdorfer, H. U. Sims, Augustus Benners, J. A. Mitrhal HprapQ Wilkinson ofb The following resolution offered by MT. Coleman was adopted:
 Resolution Adopted
 '"rhe courts of Jefferson county have been of gradual growth. Beginning with the creation of the city court of Brming- ham with one judge, and the criminal court of Jefferson county, with one judge, additional judges have been added to these courts as well as to the circuit court. as to the actual needs for the disposition of the litigation of the county demanded. There has been no creation of courts for the purpose of making places for judges. These courts, as vel a the chancery court are kept occupied and are no more than are sufficient to care for the litigation of the county Moreover, the litigation of Jefferson coun- ty very largely concerns local conditions with which only local judges are famil. far. The county is primarily devoted te mining and manufacturing rather thar to agriculture and the great bulk of lti gation arises out of mining and manufac turing, with which the judges from else where may not be familiar At leas one chancellor must sit in the county and to be properly handled chancery eases must be handled by the same judge iron the time they are commenced until thu time they are concluded.
 'In view of these conditions the bal Pof Jefferson county respectfully protests to the legislature of Alabama, and par ticularly to the senator and representa- tives from this county, against the pas sage of the bill which it is reported vii be introduced, the object of which is t, reduce the number of judges regularl. provided for Jefferson county, and t make other changes i1f it's courts. Tn subject matter of the Birmingham court has been given careful and detailed con sideration by representative committe of Birmingham lawyers who are thor oughly familiar with local conditions ant who have, after great labor, prepared bill designed to deal with those condi tions as far as Birmingham As con cerned.
 "The bar of Jefferson county views witt alarm an effort to reorganize the court of this county. in which are tried a yer, considerable percentage of the litigation of the state, and make changes in vari ance with the needs and demands O this county.
 Therefore, be it resolved, by the ba of Jefferson county, that the legislatur 1 is respectfully petitioned to pass tn bill relating to Birmingham courts pre- pared at the instance of and approves l by the Birmingham bar and referred t | as the consolidated court bill, and t. | n a Ixn n 10 hill xtbiph it | reported will be introduced at the in stance of the recess judiciary committe 1 insofar as same can affect the courts O 1 Jefferson county"