Evening star., 1941-05-21
and
Police Courf
Merger 0. K.'d
Proposed Legislation
Provides for New
Appeals Branch
BACKGROUND

Long standing CONGESTION Of
small litigation in the Municipal
Court and OF jury cases in Police
Court has led members OF bench
and bar to urge consolidation OF
these courts. and distribution OF
their tCOrk under a presiding
nudge. Increasing authority OF
Municipal Court to handle larger
ctUH cases also UdS recommended
to relieUe District Court OF much
petty litigation.
Legislation consolidating the Dis
trict police and municipal courts
and creating a new court, to be
known as the intermediate appellate
court for the District of Columbia,
has been approved finally by repre-
sentatives of the Department of JUS
tice, the judiciary and the bar asso-
citation and will be introduced in
Congress soon by Chairman RAN
dolph of the House District Commit
tee. it was learned today.
The long discussed merger of these
courts was Endorsed by the agencies
most affected in substantially the
form forecast, but the decision to
propose a special appellate court to
deal with appeals in small civil cases
comes as surprise. Appeal from
Municipal or Juvenile Court to this
tribunal would be allowed as a right.
overcoming the present inability of
these litigants to carry a case to the
United States Court of Appeals
without its express permission.
Other Chief Provisions.
These are other chief provisions to
be embodied in the bill:
l. Consolidation of the courts into
single Municipal Court, with GRIM
inal and civil jurisdiction and q
chief Judge with authority to assign
any judge to any department of the
court.
2. Increase of the courts civil
jurisdiction from suits involving
$1,000 TO those up to $4,000
3. Lengthening the terms of the
judges from to 10 years.
1. n Pc4lS4Oll p4dIi IOI Judges OF
the Municipal and Juvenile Courts
and the proposed intermediate ap-
pellate court.
1t had been proposed to increase
the Municipal Courts civil jurisdic-
ton to $4,000, but the final maximum
agreed to was $4,000, it was under
stod. This is expected, if the legis-
lation passes, to relieve the District
Court of great burden Of small
damage suits claiming amounts be-
tween $1,000 and $1,000.
Seen as Substitute Bill.
While Mr.. Randolph introduced
court merger bill on February 7
he is expected to propose the new
plan as substitute, since he sat
in on the conferences that led ur
to the agreement and approved the
final draft. Mr. Randolph was away
| from his office today and could not
be reached. The District Commis-
sionerS approved the bill which he
introduced earlier.
The plan to consolidate Wash
ington's Municipal and Police Courts
was initiated by the Justice Depart
ment some time ago in the interest
of more efficient disposition of liti-
! cation.
The enlarged Municipal Court
would operate. roughly, like the Dis
| trict Court, with the presiding Judge
assigning other judges for tours Of
duty as police or civil magistrates
The Juvenile Court is not disturbed.
but the right to appeal its judgments
to the new appellate court is affirmed
in the draft.
The proposed bill was prepared
by Alexander Holtzoff, special as
sistant to Attorney General Jackson
Final Conference Held.
A final conference was held this
week, it was learned, In attend
ance, besides Mr.. Holtzoff, were
Associate Justice Justin Miller of the
United States Court of Appeals for
the District of Columbia; Justices
Jesse c. Adkin, Oscar r. Luhring,
Bolitha j. Laws and David A. Pine
! of the District Court; Presiding
Judge John P. Mcmahon of Police
Court, Presiding Judge George c.
Aukam of Municipal Court, Judge
Fay L. Bentley of Juvenile Court,
and Francis w. Hill, Harlan Wood
and John Carmody, representing the
District Bar Association.
At previous conferences called at
the Justice Department, Matthew
F.. Mcclure, assistant to the Attor-
ney General, presided. United
States Attorney Edward M. Curran
and Corporation Counsel Richmond
B. Keech took part in these meetings.
Proposals to increase the number
| OF judges on the consolidated
Municipal bench and to raise their
salaries also had been widely dis
cussed, but these provisions were not
included in the final plan adopted,
it was reported authoritatively.
The principal change made in the
new draft over the bill introduced
by Mr.. Randolph lies in the provision
for administrative organization of
the courts" it was indicated. This
would allow the presiding Judge full
authority to assign an extra judge
to handle a congested civil or
criminal calendar.