Evening star., 1939-10-05
Go|dsborough.
Shifted, Will Try
Civil Cases
District Court Tokes
Steps to Reduce
Docket, Two Years Behind

Impressed with the record of
Justice Peyton Gordon, sitting in
Criminal Court Number One. and
in II trial days disposing of ITO
criminal cases-by trial or plea-the
justices Of District Court. sitting in
general term, today were on record
for eliminating one of the three
criminal courts.
Accordingly, effective today,
Justice T. Alan Goldsborough, who
was assigned to Criminal Court
Number Three, will 90 on the civil
side, where cases arr now nearly
two years behind. AFTER all the
available II justices Of District Court
had discussed the situation yester-
day, Chief Justice Alfred A. Wheat
announced the new assignment OF
Justice Goldsborough.
The impression prevailed among
the jurists that the criminal work
of the court is more nearly current,
but that in order to drive ahead
and reduce the mass of cases on the
civil calendar another justice would
have to be assigned to that phase
of the work. The late Justice
Joseph w. Cox, who died during the
summer recess, was slated to sit In
the civil division.
Immediate protest against leaving
only two justices in the criminal
courts was registered today by Dr..
James A. Nolan, managing director
of the Criminal Justice Association.
II think it's a shame" he de-
clared, I'VE have a crying need for
those three criminal courts"
Discussing the reason given for
the transfer of Justice Goldsbor-
ough, DR.. Nolan asserted that the
civil business is going along very
we'll"
Justice Laws" he explained, "is
making great inroads on the civil
docket through his pretrials. There's
every possibility that with this new
procedure the civil docket within
year will be as near current as pos
sible."
He was particularly concerned, he
declared, about the narcotic situa-
ton. Narcotic peddlers, he said,
have been out on bond since June
and probably won't be tried in Oc-
tober because Jail cases must be
taken first. Meanwhile, he went on,
police are having difficulty with
prisoners out on bond because of
continued stealing, shoplifting and
other crimes.
I'VE have .313 criminal cases now
on the docket and 81 in the grand
jury" he pointed out. That means
about 370 cases are awaiting trial
with only two judges to try them"
washington is no longer a little
country town. he protested. THE
situation here is bad. Speedy trial
is the best deterrent to crime
That's why we need three criminal
courts going the whole year round"
He pointed out that a similar sit
uation arose in the spring when
Justice Laws was transferred from
criminal to civil trials.
At present Justice James M.
Proctor is sitting in Motions Court;
Justice Daniel w. ODonoghue pre-
sides in Criminal Court Number
Two, and sitting in the Civil Divi-
sion are Justices Jennings Bailey,
Oscar r. Luhring, Jesse c. Adkins,
F. Dickinson Let's and James w.
Morris. Justice Bolitha j. Laws is
handling pre-trial work. Chief
Justice Alfred "A. Wheat is concern
ed with condemnation cases, for the
most part.
With Justice Goldsborough added
to the jurists hearing jury and nom
jury cases, three will devote their
attention to the so-called old
Equity" cases, where a Judge alone
decides the issues, and the other
three will conduct cases in which
jury is necessary-most Of them
damage, suits.
The District Bar Association and
United States Attorney David A.
Pine have long contended that there
should be three criminal courts to
expedite the work in that branch
Of the tribunal. ,A