The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1922-03-07
Four Years of Court
Work Is Told OF By
Judge Leslie L. Burr

Today, March the 7, is the termina-
ton of the term of office for which
Leslie L.. Burr, judge of the circuit
court of the End circuit was appointed,
his commission being dated March Z,
1918, and being for a period of four
years. AS to what the department of
Justice intends to do concerning the
appointment of someone to the posi-
ton which becomes vacant by the
termination of Judge Burr's commits
sion is not known though it is expect
ed d. II. Case will be named. Judge
Burr states he is not a candidate for
reappointment and is, therefore, a
disinterested party to that extent.
However, in view of the fact that the
Organic Act provides that a circuit
Judge shall continue in office after
the expiration of his commission until
a new judge is appointed and quail
fies, Judge Burr will continue to be
Judge of the second circuit court I'M
til some action is taken at Washing
ton. AS to whether he has any idea
when action will be taken, he says
that in view of the fact that the
commissions of certain members of
the supreme court also terminate to-
day and that, according to newspaper
reports, the chief justice has asked
that a successor be appointed as sooa
as his commission expired, the de-
partment of Justice would probably
make the appointment for the second
circuit court when the supreme court
appointments are under considera-
ton.
Four Years Work 49,.
AS to the amount of work that has
been disposed of during Judge Burr's
term of Office, during the past four
years, figures compiled by the clerk
show that there have been some 215
criminal cases, 319 libels for divorce,
"a equity suits, 1T law matters, lis
probate matters and 81 juvenile cases
making a total of Oil. AS to matters
undisposed of, there is about the
same number of cases pending and
undisposed of o as pending four
years ago.
Court Records
In the matter of the condition of
court affairs, Judge Burr says that
the clerks of the court have done
considerable additional work in get
ting the records in shape, such addi-
tional work having been necessitated
by reason of the fact that in years
gone by many matters pertaining to
the making of proper court records
were either neglected or omitted en-.
tirely, and that when he came into
Office four years ago the only court
minutes that were being kept were
pencil minutes made on scratch pads,
and in addition to the fact that es-
pecially as to the records of years
back much apparently had been omit
ted-such records as were kept had
not been indexed and so it was often
rather difficult to ascertain what had
taken place at the hearing of cases
and taht the only complete court
minutes date from four years ago. AS
to who in his opinion was at fault for
the records not having been properly
kept in the past, Judge Burr says that
it was not unusual to find court rec
ords improperly kept, that unless the
court clerk has had the proper in
struction he often is unaware of just
what the court records should con-
tain; that, also, many of the judges
have little or no knowledge rs to the
proper manner of keeping court rec.
ords-as with most lawyers no neces,
sity arises for their becoming cogni-
Zant with the proper manner in which
court records should be kept. He fur,
Their says that his knowledge as to the
manner of keeping court records and
the value of proper court records was
obtained during a period of several
years when he was connected with a
firm of attorneys doing little work foI
one of the large title guarantee com
panies on the mainland; and that in
the curse of such work he had found
it necessary to examine many hundreds
of court records, some of them going
back to a time antedating the general
use of the English language in the
California courts and so was familiar
with the methods in vogue in the
keeping court records, and fully
aware of the trouble. that can arise
by reason of a lack of proper court
records. For a court can only speak
from it's records, and a lack of pro
per records can often cause grave in
justice, especially is this true in mat
tiers pertaining to title to real proper
ty, naturalization, etc.
CIRCTIT COTTRT- SECOND CIPCIIJ1