The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-12-16
MUNICIPAL COURT
COSTS ANALYzED
Increase in BrattlebOr0 Is
Due to Transfer of
Jury Trials
REDUCES EXPENSE
OF COUNTY COURT
Interesting Comparisons Made by Clerk
of Municipal Court Receipts and
Expenses About Even, Aside from
Jury Trials.

In connection with recent published |
comments regarding the increased cost of
municipal courts in the state Miss Ethel A. /
Mlltlngton, clerk Of the Brattleboro muni-
clpal court, has drawn off some interesting
figures which throw much light on the
why's and wherefores of some of the in
creased cost
| She compares in her statement the cost
of the Brattleboro municipal court for IL
months from Dec !, 1914, to Nov l, 1915,
with the T. months from Nov. !, 1915, to
1 Nov. |, 1916
Her statement shows that the net cost
OF the court for the II months was Sl9l
to dispose of AS cases out Of l9l entered
in court during that period During that
time there were no jury cases, for the law
providing for jury trials IN the municipal
court has not become operative, or did not
become effective until August, 1915 As
will be shown later, the jury eases tried
tins last year have much to do, if not all,
with the increased cost of the local court
In the l9l4-l9l5 period of II months the
total cost of the court was 81 81 and
the total income was s., ID IL leaving the
net cost of the court for that period 81 81.
The expenses for that period included
Sl,l0o for the salary of the Judge; officers
fees in criminal cases, S6l8 90: and witness
fees IN criminal cases, Sll7.04 The re-
ceipts included s2,093.7l in fines and costs
IN criminal cases and $29 received from
the probation officer so much for the
cost of the Brattleboro municipal court in
the ll-months period.
For the year ending Nov /, 1916. the net
cost of the court was s767 50 The total
cost was S2,940.54 and the total income
S2,l12.95. The increase in the expense
was sSl592 and in receipts only $50. .24
The collection of fines and costs in crimi-
nal cases fell off from S2,093.1 to -, ,0l2 60
but $50 more was received from the pro-
baton officer, juvenile fines and costs
brought IN $3.50 and there were collected
in civil fees Sl0l.75 against none the II
months before
The statement shows, however, that
, there We're 267 cases entered in court in
! the last Z months, an increase of So, and
that 1872 were tried. an increase of "A. The
nub of the whole statement is found in the
fact that Is of the cases tried, SIX criminal
and nine civil. were tried by iuries There
by hangs much of the increased cost of
the municipal court but, correspondingly,
the cost of the Windham county court is
cut down, as will be shown.
The report for the Il months ending
Nov /. last, shows that the - jury trials
cost additional the following amounts:
Jurors fees in criminal cases, S69 05
jurors fees in civil cases, Sl97 2S. These
two items are chargeable directly to the
jury trials which were not a part of the
previous report. They account for $500 SO
of the increased expense In the first re-
port covering the II months Juvenile cases
were not heard in the municipal court, but
d by the probate court. The expense Of the
3 last II months is increased by juvenile
IS cases $500 for officers and witnesses
;. fees The judges salary being for /:
# months instead of II, as in the first court
Is calls for an additional 800, his annual
V salary being 81 200 Officers fees in clvi
4 jury cases, shown only in the second re
port total $3.50 and incidental expenses
. are increased in the second report oyel
a the first $S7 a. due almost entirely t,
~ jury trials in outlying towns, which cal
4 for the expense of a hall, expenses of trave
of Judge and clerk and possibly meals 70
81 jurors and court officials; certainly the,
have In some instances.
This shows generally that the transfe
of many jury cases from the jurisdiction
of the county court to the municipal court
has increased the cost of the municipa
US courts, the income of which have no
creased expenditures.
A But as an offset to this is found the dt
no crease in the cost of the county court /
OF has been the custom, because necessary
he for County Clerk +. d. L. Stowe at tn
k opening of the county court to max
by requisiton for $4,000 to pay the juror
20 who serve at the term in Newfane. Sc
dom has this amount been sufficient t
Sd cover that cost At the last term {
ew court he made requsition for the usu,
)m amount of $4,000 and when the term WI
m concluded he returned about $1,000 of ii
in amount as unused. At least in part
ire must be considered that the shifting
minor jury cases to the jurisdiction of Il
he municipal courts has reduced the cost
he the county courts, and, il would seem,
no far as Windham county is concerned, Il
zen balance is in favor of the present metho
cir Doubtless the jury trials in the Beloy
fer Falls municipal court also have helped 7
yer duce the cost of the jury term at Me-
II fame