The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1925-06-02
MAKES A DEFENSE
OF THE CITY COURT
COMPARES 1T WITH SUPERB
mr. COURT, AND CLAIMS IT i
Is MORE ECONOMICAL.

OP COURT, AND CLAIMS IT
Is MORE ECONOMICAL.
Editor Dawson News: In the last
-,s Of YOUR paper an advertisement
.. carried to the effect that a bill
..,rld be introduced in the next ses-
IN, of the legislature to abolish the
r;y Court of Dawson. One of the
.ru,ments being used by the advo-
-.tes OF this proposed legislation is
t.+ the city court is a useless expense
fine county, that the county only
.f- one court, and since it must by
,.,. have superior court, all the bus
.,.-. OF the county could be handled
L,. -r- superior court and thus elimi-
-,. he expenses of the city court
+. very evident that those who
alliance such an argument do so with
.~r any knowledge OF the relative
,..r to- Terrell county OF the expenses
,Er superior court and the city
court 1t would be very fine thing
+ the necessity for courts did not
eyi,t but so long as there is any bus
mess in the county for the courts to
handle it is certainly to the best in
,gr.-t of the taxpayers that this bust
ra.. be handled as economically as
therefore, for the information OF
the public, | give the following data
showing the relative cost for the oper-
alton of the two courts to the taxpay
er, of the county;
For the year 1923-City Court OF
DaWson:
Number of cases disposed of (civil
and criminaD -..-----..-.......,..-.--..-.---l85
Number of days in session. Is
4 Total expenses, including the
salary OF the Judge, solc-
itor. the per diem OF jurors
and bailiffs, clerks and the
sheriff -........... ...-...-......-....$3, 66700
Total paid into the county
treasury ........... ------.-.-..-.----- $3.50
Making net cost of county $2,153.45
or the sum Of $11.64 for each case.
For the year 1923-Superior Court:
Number of cases disposed OF Civil
and criminal) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. "a
Number of days in session .
Total expenses, including the
per diem OF jurors, bailiffsa
clerk and sheriff --,--.....---- s. 10000
or total cost of $21.59 per case.
For the year 1924-City Court Of.
Dawson:
Number of cases disposed OF (civil
and criminaD -----------..-.--.--------------I6
Number Of days in session.. IS
Total expenses, including the
salary OF judge and solicit
tor. the per diem of jurors,
bailiHs, clerk and sheriff --$3 $4,000
Total revenue paid into the
county treasury ------------.------- 10000
Making net cost to nty--$2, 1904
or the sum Of $1190 per case.
For the year l924-Superior Court;
Number of cases disposed of (civil
and criminal) -----...-.-...---..----------.-/ =
Number of days in session Is
Total expenses, including the
per diem OF jurors. bailitts,
clerk and sheritf----.----..-----9l ,5oo.oO
or total cost OF $1,000 per case
Therefore, for the years 1928 and
1924. the City Court OF Dawson dis
posed OF approximately IA cases per
day. and the superior court disposed
of approximatey 8 cases per day tor
the time in session The relative cost
per case in the superior court IS prac-
ncalv double that of the city court. !
Terrell county has never received one
cent OF revenue from the superior
court except Tor the short period OF
time that the solicitor general was on
, salary. 1t does receive revenue each
year from the city court. At the pres
emit time there is no insolvent cost
bills in the city court but there is ap-
proximately $12000.00 insolvent cost
bills in the superior court
III the city court is abolished and |
all the business is handled by the SUI
perior court the county treasurer
would not receive one dollar OF the |
fines and forfeitures until all the m
solvent cost bills now existing i'll the !
superior court as we'll as those that |
might hereafter accumulate, are FULLY |
paid 1t therefore goes without saying I
that the county would never receive
one cent of revenue from fines and
iorfetures from the superior court
ii the city court is abolished and all !
the business is handled in the superior |
court, and if, the superior court could
dispose Of the business as rapidly as
the city court for the year 1873 our |
superior court would have been in |
session p days, which would have
meant full two weeks OF court in I
the spring and two weeks in the fall
For the year 1924 the superior court
would have been in session 20 full
days which would have been more
than two weeks court at each ses-
sion. But If you take figures as they
actually exist, it would take the su-
perior court quite a good deal longer
time to dispose of the business that IS