Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-04-03
4. =. y y i. . -
CONFLICiTSIF0UND
IN new FEE LAW
Attorneys in Some Counties
and Cities Get No
Increases
HASTY LEGISLATION
HASTY LEGISLATION
James City and York Counties Work
at Expense of Other Olllceholders
in The State

Richmond, April 3.-1n the haste
of the General Assembly to meet an
extraordinary situation that was an
ticipated in James City and York
counties because of the Du Pont ac-
tivities in the vicinity of Williams
burg, it passed Senate bill No. 443
which, while it takes care of the eX-
pectcd increase in work that Will fall
to the share of the Commonwealth's
attorneys Of these two counties, pro-
vides unexpected, and even embar-
RAISING. changes in the law affecting
number of other Commonwealth's
attorneys in the State. The discrepan-
cies were discovered by State Auditor
Moore in checking up the new leglsla-
ton.
The bill was passed in the dying
hours of the session, under suspen-
sion of the rule requiring it to be read
on three separate calendar days, and
did not, therefore, receive the careful
scrutiny that was given measures
passed with less haste.
Senate bill No. 107, passed earlier
in the session, revised the schedule OF
fees allowed to the various Common
wealth's attorneys, to meet speclal
conditions then existing. When the
williamsburg contingency arose, an
other bill was introduced increasing
the fee limit of,,tlle attorneys in York
and other James River counties, and
inadvertently decreasing the fees OF
other Commonwealth's attorneys.
Since the second bill was the last one
to be approved. it supersedes the first
bill, and becomes the law in force.
This bill increases from $50 to
$500 the fee limit now fixed for the
Commonwealth attorneys, of York
and James City Counties. 1t reduces
Accomac county from $3.50 to $3.50,
and cuts in half the $500 formerly
fixed for Buchanan county.
In Charles City county, where the
| Commemorative attorneys fee limit
was only $3.50, the bill establishes
500 as the new fgure-a change. as
far as could be learned yesterday.
which is not warranted by any spec
ial conditions. Equally as inexplicable
is the reduction made in Dickinson
county, where the fees are cut from
! $500 to $3.50.
One of the most startling changes
however, is in the case of Prince
George county. While the first bill
increased the Commonwealth's alto
news fees from $3.50 to 5000. the sec
ond bill put it back to $3.50. where 1t
now stands. 1t will be conducted by
the new Commonwealth's attorney OF
Hopewcll for whom special provision
is made, but it is expected, neverthe-
less, that the prosecutions in the coun-
ty itself will be greatly augmented
by reason of the location of Hopewell
nearby
Princess Anne County is cut by the
new law from s4OO 20 5000. and the
county of Wise is reduced from $500
to $500. The city of Danville was in
creased from $500 to $1,000 by the
first bill, but is put back to S7OO by
the second bill. The city Of Peters
burg, increased by the first bill, from
$500 to $500, is likewise put back
to the original amount.
The new law cuts in half the fees
in the city of Portmsouth. reducing
them from $1,000 to $500 The city OF
| Roanoke is reduced from S1,5O0 II
$1,000, while the city of Suffolk Is
omitted altogether from the fee sched
ule of the new bill, and the Common
wealth's attorney of that city, unde1
the new law, will not be limited al
. all in the amount.of fees he can col
lect from the Commonwealth for pro
secutions in his court.
Commonwealth attorneys, unde
the general law, receive for convic
tions fee of SIS for every misdemean
or case, and a fee of $40 for ever.
:. felony case. These fees are assessed
in the form of costs against the con
}; victed person. If the defendant il
without means and has no propert.