The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-08-28

!
Municipal Court The Municipal Cour,
bench is occupied by Judges George c.
Aukum, Michael NJ. Doyle, Milton Stras.
burger. Edward B. Kimball. and Robert
H. Terrell.
Would Make Court Best of All.
One of the most interesting of the
! group Is Judge Strasburser, who is work
ing indefatigably to make the poor man
I tribunal of the District the best In the
/ entire country.
Mr.. Strasburger was born in Wash
| inston and resided here all his life. He
| is the son of L. Strasburger, who came
shoe business. from which he is now
retired.
! Mr.. Strasburger was graduated from
the Business High School and the
: Georgetown University Law School and
received the degree of doctor of civil
! law from George Washington Univer-
sity. He was enSag ed in the practice
OF law for a number of years prior to
his appointment by President Wilson and
appeared as attorney in many important
| cases.
For several years he was secretary
| of the commission to revise and cod
| ify the laws of the United States
, He is professor of the equity ju-'s-
prudence case system course at the
National University Law School.
Mr.. Strasburger is very active in
the work of local fraternal and chart
table organiza tions. He is past mas
! ter of Dawson Lodge. No. Is. F. A.
/ A. NJ; life member of Washington
Lodge of Elks, No. Is: past president
| of Argo Lodge, I. o. b. B.; a member
of the Chamber of Commerce; a mem
Der of the Louis D. Brandeis So
ciety of Zionists; member of the tca I'd
of directors of the Washington He
| brew congregations: treasurer of the
Jewish Foster Home in Georgetown:
member of the Monday Evening Club
and member of the Washington Su-
burban Club. Mr.. Strasburger is
very fond Of golf and other outdoor
sports.
should Be Model Court.
Judge Strasburger has made n care
full study of the laws relating 20 the
municipal courts of other large cities.
particularly Chicago and New York.
He believes that the poor mans court
Of this city should be model for
other cities. and has prepared a re-
vision of the laws. which will be in
troduced in Congress early next win
ter. The proposed revision increases
the Jurisdiction of the court. provides
for jury trials when demanded bv the
parties and limits the right of ap-
peal. so that a final determinat ton OF
petty cases may be reached in min
imum of time. He also advocates the
abolition of the present system Of re-
moving cases to the Supreme Court
of the District on the ground of con-
current jurisdiction, believing that
many cases are now removed for the
sole purpose OF delay.
In a recent article in THE Bench and
Bar one of the leading legal periodi-
Gals, Judge Strasburger advocates the
reform of the inferior courts Of the
country to the end that the poor man
may be afforded a trial Of his petty case
along the highest conceptions of JUS
tice. He calls attention to the fact
that the inferior court is of the highest
Importance to the general public and
that it has been too long neglected in
most communities. He points out that
not more than half a dozen cities have
modern courts, properly equipped to do
justice between man and man when
the litigation involves sums Of less than
$500 While the laws relating to the mu-
nicipal court of this city are superior to
those of many other communities. accord
ing to Judge Strasburger.->theyd do not
compare favorably with those of a num-
Der of large cities. The lawyers of
Washington favor the reforms advocated
and business men doubtless will add their
influence when the matter is presented to
Congress.
Judge Strasburger is married and has
one child. The family is spending the
summer at Wildwood, n. J.
"SinEle and Fairly Contented."
Judge Kimball is another interesting
member of the group presiding over the
Municipal Court. He boasts the fact
that he is single and fairly contented
vii ife Nd he hoe
hobbies. He devotes himself wholly to
hard. grinding work.
He was born in 1871 and attended the
public schools of the District. being grad
uated from Washington High School in
1890. He took the degree of bachelor of
laws from Columbian NOW George Wash
ington) University in 1892 and later stud
led Aw at Harvard. He was admitted to
the bar in Baltimore in 1896. Later he
came to the District. where he practiced
until February. 1914. when he received
his appointment as judge of the Munich
pal Court. He has been a member of the
University Club since it's organization.
and member of the Phi Delta Phi legal
Judge Aukam is one of the older judges
in point of service. He frequently serves
on the bench of the Police Court in the
absence of either Judge Pugh or Judge
"Kfddies" Tell Their Troubles.
The Juvenile Court is presided over by
Judge ]. Wilmer Latimer. Since his
appointment the court has been removed
from its old tumble-down quarters in F
street between Eighteenth and Nine |
teenth streets to a large and comfortably |
furnished building in / street between
Second and Third streets. The room in
which cases are tried has but little Of |,
the aspect Of a courtroom. The children !
are not arraigncd before the bar as |
adults are; they sit at the side of Judge !
Latimer's table and tell him all about |
what happened. Judge Latimer has ef- |
fected many minor changes in procedure |
at the court, all with the idea of minimiz- |
ing the formidable legal machinery and |
making possible the disposition 6f the |
cases on the basis of eXpediency rather ]
than of absolute adherence to legal ira !
ditions and precepts.
John E. Laskey. United States At |
torney for the District, Is a recent ap- |
pointee. He long had been a practicing |
attorney of the city and his appoint |
ment was based on his record as a capa- !
BILE and successful lawyer. Ralph Given. !
who is in charge of prosecutions at the |
Police Court. is one of the older OF his !
assistants In point of service. Bolitha !
]. Laws, the youngest Of the assistants |
and the most recent appointee, Is in gen. |
eral charge of the prosecution Of per- |
sons violating the Kenyon law and other |
acts aimed to prohibit the operation of |
disorderly houses. For a time Mr.. Laws l
was a stenographer in the office Of the |
secretary To the board of District Conn.,