Evening star., 1941-11-13
Women's S Bar Is Told
Court Law 10 Provide
Resident Judges
McCorron, Senate D. c.
Committee Choirmon,
Addresses Association

Legislation now pending in the
Senate on the new Municipal Court
will provide that judges be bona
fide residents of the District, the
Womens Bar Association of the
District was assured last night by
Senator McCarran, chairman of the
Senate District Committee. Senator
McCarran was guest of the aSso-
citation at an informal dinner at the
Colonial Hotel, at which Paul B
Cromelin, chairman of the Genera
Committee on Relations With the
Courts for the Bar Association oi
the District of Columbia. also spoke.
Senator McCarran said that as q
trial balloon" he had included do
mestic relations case jurisdiction for
the new court in his bill and was
glad to hear the criticism given from
the floor at the dinner There was
some objection to the provision on
the ground that domestic relations
cases sometimes involve disposal of
large amounts OF property, and for
this reason it was contended the
jurisdiction should be left in the
United States District Court. 1t was
pointed out that the proposed new
court is not given any equity juris-
diction. Senator McCarran asserted
that such cases do not in truth and
in fact rest in equity, that the sub
stance of the cases rest in the mari
tai relations, and that the property
settlements are incidental. He
added that he didn't know whether
he would say that jurisdiction over
these cases should be conferred on
the new court, but pointed out that
something must be done to relieve
the high court of the burdensome
condition brought on by so many
such cases.
Points to Another Burden"
Establishing a separate domestic
relations court might be desirable,
he suggested, but he warned that
this would add to the tax burdens Of
District citizens through the main
tenance of another tribunal. when
the cases could be handled by the
new court.
Mr.. Cromelin said that the Bar
Association has approved the Nc
Carran bill in principle, but there
Is difference of opinion on the mat
ter of revising some specific provi-
sions. He said that the Drafting
Committee favors the McCarran bill.
The outstanding provisions of the
measure, he pointed out. are the
consolidation of the Municipal and
Police Courts of the District into a
new court to be known as the mu-
nicipal court of the District of Co.
lumbia, with civil and criminal
branches; provision for a chief
judge who would be an admins
traitor charged with the duty of as
signing cases and seeing that the
work is carried out; the establish
ment of an intermediate court of
appeal and enlargement of the juris-
diction Of the court.
A prerequisite for appointment to
Its bench in that the candidate must
have practiced in the District of
Columbia for period Of five years,
and he added that he took 1t that
meant that a lawyer employed in the
Government would be eligible for
appointment.
He said there was diversity of
opinion as to the right of appeal in
all cases. He also pointed out that
the provision that the judgments of
the court should be liens against real
estate had brought objection from
the title companies.
Mrs Grace Brown Stiles, assistant
United States attorney, presided at
the dinner.