Evening star., 1942-07-02
New D. T.. Court
Assumes Duties
Without Chief
Senate Expected
To Act Soon on
Appointments

of the District today had passed
into oblivion, and in their places wa!
a new tribunal the Municipal Court
for the District of Columbia-more
powerful, modernized to meet chang
ing conditions and with its govern
ing authority more centralized.
Although delay in appointment o1
It's chief judge, who has been nom-
mated but not confirmed, is ham,
pering completion of its organiza-
tion, the new courts civil and Grim
inal divisions nevertheless are func-
tioning smoothly. clerks reported.
Hearings on the nominations OF
the chief judge and new associate
judges of the tribunal were to be
held today by a Senate subcom-
mittee. Fs
The nominations include:
William Even Richardson to be
chief judge of the appellate court
Nathan Cayton and Andrew Nc
Caughrin Hood, to be associate
judges of the appellate court.
George P. Barse, general counsel
of the Office of the controller of the
currency, to be chief judge of the
Municipal Court; Brice Clagett.
Aubrey F. Fennell, Nathan Ross
Margold and Walter J. Casey to be
municipal judges.
Pending Cases Transferred.
Pending actions in the old courts
simply are being carried over into
the new divisions and employees of
the old courts are continuing to
function as before, as provided in
the act creating the new tribunal.
Already, suit for $1,867.61 which
heretofore would have been filed in
District Court, has been filed with
the new civil division. The old
Municipal Court handled suits up
to $1,000. The suit filed today was
by the Anacostia Bank, 1000 Nichols
avenue Sc, against Irving Lichten-
berg, AIT Shepherd street NV, the
bank charging that the money was
improperly drawn from an account.
In the criminal branch, Walter F.
Bramhall, clerk of the old Police
Court, is now signing his papers
"acting clerk of the criminal divi-
sion" He also is using temporary
rubber stamp bearing the name of
the new court as his seal.
Miss Blanche Neff, clerk of the
old Municipal Court. said, however,
that she is continuing to use her
old metal seal-since only the word
"of" is changed to "for" preceding
the words District of Columbia" in
her case. Judge Ellen K. Raedy
currently is assigning cases in the
civil division function that will be
exercised by the chief judge when
he is confirmed by the Senate.
Appeals Are Held Up.
Both the criminal and civil divi-
sions today were holding up appeals.
Yesterday was the effective date of
the new Municipal Court OF Ap-
peals for the District. Like the
judges of the consolidated tribunal,
the judges of this new appellate
court have not yet been confirmed
by the Senate.
One of the most important
changes that comes with the con-
solidation is the creation of the po-
sition of chief judge. who will exer-
else the administrative functions
formerly carried out by the boards
of judges of the two old courts.
Among the chief judges powers are
the assignment of the associate
judges to serve in any branch and
to submit to him a monthly report
of the accomplishments of that
branch
The associate judges must reveal
In the reports the number of days
each attended court and the number
of hours that each sat each day
facts which shall be subject to pub
lie inspection.
The chief judge also is vested
with the power of assigning the
time of the year that each associate
judge shall take his vacation, which
shall not exceed SO court days ir
any one calendar year. All appoint
ments by the clerk of the court
must be approved by the chief Judge
a function which formerly was the
subject of some spirited wrangline
within the Boards of Judges of the
old courts.
Civil Powers Expanded.
In addition to handling all suits
up to $4,000, the civil division of thu
new court also may be assigned
other suits, for greater amounts, il
the discretion of pre-trial justice
of the District Court The bill pro-
vides that if it appears to this pre-
trial justice in the higher tribuna
that the action will not justify {
Judgment in excess of 81 900, he ma,
send it to the Municipal Court fo
trial.
In. the lower tribunal, the bil
provides, the suit shall be treated a!
though it had been filed Originally
in the Municipal Court, except tina
the jurisdiction of that court shai
extend to the amount claimed il
such action, even though it exceed
the sum of $4,000.
For instance. if a suit for $1,000
were filed in District Court and :
Judge there should decide that tn,
plaintiff were entitled only to $500
and sent it to Municipal Court, tn
Jury and the lower tribunal woult
have the power to return a verdlc
of $4,000 if it saw fit.
One change it is believed the ney
court effects is that the old Polio,
Court Judges now will have tn
power to conduct marriages, func
tion held only by judges of a cour
of record. Municipal Court judge
always have had this power, as ha
Judge Fay Bentley of Juvenil
Court. The old Police Court wa
not court of record wherein min
utes were kept of the judges &C
tions.