The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-02-28
APPEALSuCOsT HIGH
III SAYS NEW FREEDOM
BOISE NEWSPAPER GIVES SOME
FIGURES ON COST OF OUR
z 49, SUPREME COURT


preme court is almost, if not quite as
expensive as it would be for the state
to pay the itigants, and that Chief
Justice Morgan, of Moscow, wrote
nearly so per cent more opinions than
his associates, is the statement made
by the New Freedom, a weekly paper
published at Boise, in it's last issue.
The article in the New Freedom is of
special interest here and is given be-
low:
High Cost of Appeals.
A survey of opinions filed by the
Supreme Court of Idaho for the year
beginning January and ending De-
cember 81, 1919, shows that 80 cases
were disposed of by the court during
that period Seventy7eight opinions
were written by the three justices of
the Supreme Court and ten were
written by district judges who were
called in to sit with the Supreme
Court by reason Of disqualification
opinions on rehearing were written,
ton of former decision. nine con-
curing opinions and seven dissent
ing opinions.
The decision of these ninety cases |
cost the people of the state of Idaho,
as nearly as. can be estimated at this |
time, $37,375, or $415 for each case
decided. This estimate covers the
salaries of three justices, law clerks,
stenographers, clerk Of the supreme
court, deputy clerks, general. expense,
and publication of supreme court re-
ports. No account is taken for heat,
light, rent for office rooms, library
expense, ETC., which would probably
increase the cost per case to $500.
Some of the cases APPEALED involved
amounts less than what the people of
the state have paid to have the case
decided. Where case involves less
than 500, as many of them do, it
would be cheaper for the state to step
in and pay the losing party the
amount of his claim to prevent an APP
peal. a
Circuit Court of Appeals Suggested
There are fifteen district Judges in
this state, each paid salary of $4,000
year. The state might be divided
into three circuits, one in the north
one in the southwest, and one in the
southeast, each circuit to cover the
jurisdiction of five district judges.
Any three of the district judges of
circuit court should compose a cir
cult court and have authority to hear
and determine cases on appeal where
the amount involved is not more than
$4,000 and where the conStitutionality
OF statute is not directly or neces-
sarily involved. These circuit courts
should be under the general supervis-
ion of the Supreme Court, should be
held when the district judges are not
necessarily engaged with their duties
in the district court, and should use
the office facilities of the Supreme
Court at Lewiston, Boise and Poca-
tello. This plan would not only re
duce the cost per case of cases de-
cided on appeal, but would materially
relieve the congestion in the calendar
Of the Supreme Court, result in sthe
speeding up of the disposition of the
cases all around, and obviate the nee
ssslty of an increase in the number
Of judges in the Supreme Court with
The attendant increace in expenditure
Tor judges salaries and that of addi-
lonal law clerks and stenographers.
Practical Economics.
Another economy which might be
Effected is that of the abolition of
dW CltIhS, Ut the cOnSOllQatlOn OF
he position Of law clerk and of stem
grapher to that of law clerk-steno
.rapher and typist as in the federal
ervice. During the past year the
'hief Justice has been without law
Jerk, and one of the justices for
art of the time, yet the survey of
ne opinions filed shows that the
'hief Justice wrote 80 opinions and
ach of the associate justices %
pinions.
Each judge and the clerk of the
quart is provided with stenographer.
4 government offices and progress
re business houses, central office
ystems are being established. In
cad Of a stenographer being assign
to each department chief or other
nportant officer, such officer calls
n the central office when steno-
raphic assistance is actually re-
aquired. Under such a system a
amount might be saved
the State House.
For The Children.