The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1916-10-27
Do You Want a Proven Judge on The
Bench !!


Bench!
Under the laws Of the State of Wash
ington judges Of superior courts have
Jurisdiction of probate matters-take
proof of wills, grant letters Of admins
tration, direct and control estates, and
the settlement OF accounts Of executors
and administrators. In short, the vel
fare Of women, children and mental de-
ficients is very largely under the con-
troll Of the judges of the superior courts.
In this state the judges receive a fixed
salary. Also, they are always lawyers.
Or we're before being elevated to the
bench. Some lawyers. when elevated
to the bench. forget they were lawyers
and become judges. Others remain
lawyers all their lives. Judge Milo A.
Root belonged to the latter classical
ton. He was forced to resign from
the supreme court for improprieties on
the bench. A lage number OF infuen-
tial members OF the state bar associa-
ton tried to block his removal. Law
yer judges are more popular with many
members OF the bar than those who
are merely judges.
Lawyers live on fees. If it were not
for fees there would be very few lawyers.
Quite naturally they like what is known
to the profession as fat fees" They are
never "lean" when fixed by the lawyer
himself. when self the wavering
balance shakes it's rarely right adjust
ed" is as true today as when Burns
penned it. Now in many matters COM
ing before superior court judges the
law gives them discretionary power in
fixing the fees. The court records
show that Judge Grimshaw has fire.
quently used this discretionary authority
to the depletion of an attorneys fee
and the benefit OF widows and orphans,
Especially in matters where the rights
OF women and children are involved
does a just Judge view fat fees"
with slight favor. Otherwise, if a
lawyer has been employed to settle up
an estate and puts in claim for a fee
out OF proportion to the work required.
or out OF proportion to the amount in
volved, the Judge Of the superior court
has the authority to scale this fee. down
to what he thinks is just to the women
and children whose rights are involved
in the proceedings, and fair to the
lawyer. Now il there happens to be
on the bench lawyer, rather than a
Just Judge, the fee in all probability
will be allowed to stand.
There is complaint all over this state
about the way estates Of decedents
are squandered and FILTERED away in
court proceedings. Some dozen years
ago a man died in the County OF Doug
las whose estate was appraised at SO, 800.
When it was finally settled up, some
three or four years after the man died,
there was left to be divided between
the widow and children nearly $500.
Nine thousand dollars had gone to pay
LAWYERS fees and court costs. Not so
very long ago a matter came before
the superior court OF Chelan county in
which the interest OF woman was in
volved to the amount OF almost 5000.
Suit had to be brought and the attorney
put in claim for fee Of SITS. $25
for the client and seven times $25 for
the attorney. The court cut this fee
way down. II the court had been a
lawyer rather than a just Judge the fee
would probably have been allowed to
stand. A short time ago an estate in
the superior court Of Chelan county
was appraised at something over five
thousand dollars, and the attorney vino
acted for the heirs put in a claim for
$500. This fee was cut half in two
by the court. In the judgment Of the
court it was taking too much Of that
which had been left to the heirs Of the
deceased, and as their rights were
wholly in the hands Of lawyer who
WAS a nudge of right as well as law the