Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-11-15
Judge Beane Gives
Valuable Talk to
High School Pupils

Friday morning Mt Assembly the
students of Hallowell high school
were honored by tho presence OF
Judge Fred Emery Beane. who gave
them an interesting and valuable
talk on the courts OF the state.
Judge Beane spoke at first OF the
executive branch of the state govern
ment. He reminded his audience
that there had been N all since
Main became n state. As governors.
IL of whom were elected TO that Of
flee. the other taking the places of
those duly elected. or the As, two
were from Hallowell. Governors
Hubbard and Bodwell. The basis OF
state government. he said, was in
the state Constitution, drawn up in
October 1919, and adopted in De-
cember of that same year.
The basis of the courts Is TO be
found first in article three of the
constitution OF the United States
shall be vested in one supreme court
and such inferior courts as Congress
may. from time to time ordain and
establish" and IN article six of the
constitution of the state: THE judi
cial power of this state shall be vest
ed in supreme judicial court, and
such other courts as the legisla ture
shall from time to time establish.
Thus the supreme judicial court Is
the only constitutional court in the
state, all the others are the crea-
ton Of the legislature. Judge Beane
called the attention OF the students
to the clauses in the state Constitu-
ton. under article one, that safe
guard their rights. giving the nc
cused the right to be reard by him
self or counsel. the right to demand
the nature and cause of his accusa-
ton and to be cofrontcd by the wit
ncsses against him rs well as to have
compulsory process for obtaining
witnesses in his favor. lie also re-
ferred to the fact that no man may
legally be placed twice in Jeopardy OF
life and limb for the same offcnse.
In his detailed analysis OF the
courts of the state Judge Beane be-
gan with the work of the trial JUS
tees and the municipal courts. then
referred to the district courts recent
ly established in the state. From
these there Is right OF appeal to the
higher courts. From that he went
on to the superior court established
first In Cumberland county, where
the press of business was so great
that the supreme judicial court was
two years or more behind in its work
and then FOR much the Same reasons
established in Kennebcc, Androscog-
gin and Penobscot counties. These
courts have in these four counties
concurrent Jurisdiction with the SUI
preme court in civil matters Except
for cases that involve a question OF
flowage or title to land.) and exClus-
i've criminal jurisdiction. There have
been but three judges Of the superior
court in Kennebec county. The su-
preme judicial court has had in all
IL chief justices, three Of them from
Kennebec county, and 40 associate
justices, nine from Kennebec county.
The supreme judicial court holds
nisi prius terms Mt stated intervals
in each county. This same court al
so sits three times a year as a court
OF law to determine questions of law
that have come up In the other ses-
sions. There is also Il court OF
equity TO settle such questions as the
law cannot exactly determine. Also.