Evening star., 1942-02-24
District Court
Merger Bill
Before Senate
Committee Report
Fuvors Measure
To Speed Up Cases

The bill to reorganize the lower
courts of the District to promote
efficiency and relieve the burden on
the higher tribunals is before the
Senate today, awaiting early action.
following a favorable. report from
the District committee late yester-
day.
Passed by the House last year,
the measure consolidates the Police
and Municipal Courts, to hear
criminal cases and civil suits up to
$1,000. with a new appellate branch
to hear appeals in these cases.
The combined olice-Municipal
Court would have 10 instead of 8
judges, the added number to be a
presiding jurist with power to
supervise the work of the others and
generally bringing efficiency into
the handling of the courts work, -"
the Senate Committee reported. The
judges would continue to receive
5000 each, with $500 additional for
the presiding judge.
Three Appeal Justices.
The new Municipal Court Of Ap-
peals would consist Of q chief judge
at $500 and two associate judges
at 5000 each.
Since the bill passed the House a
number Of conferences have been
held by r. F. Camalier, counsel to
the Senate Committee, with local
judges and lawyers, as we'll as rep
resentatives of the Department of
Justice.
Chief changes made in Senate
committee were to extend the length
of the terms of the judges from
s to 10 years, stagger the appoint
ments so that all terms would not
expire at one time, enable the court
to appoint its clerk. who would Sc
lect his deputies, subject to approval
Of the court and broaden civil juris-
diction to deal with cases involving
up to $4,000 instead Of $4,000.
Although only four new places are
being created, there may be as many
as seven new appointments made
following passage of the bill, due to
one vacancy caused by death and
the fact that the terms of two
present judges have expired.
McCarran Statement.
After the committee had reported
the bill, Chairman McCarran said:
THE passage of this bill and its
final enactment will fill a long
needed want in the District of Co.
lumbia in the matter of court read
juStment and will be a boon to those
who find it necessary to resort to
court procedure. It will facilitate to
a great degree the handling of court
business and provide that celeritv
necessary to expeditions handling Of
litigation"
Senator McCarran said that, while
it will entail additional expense, it
Will reduce delay In all lines of hti-
cation.
A requirement has been written
into the bill that the judges must be
District residents, who maintain a
place of abode here and who have
practiced law here for five years
preceding appointment.
Pointing out that the United
States District Court and the United
States Court of Appeals must handle
many Federal cases growing out of
the presence here Of the seat of
Government, the committee said the
burden Of these courts would be re-
lieved by authorizing the new
tribunals to hear civil cases up to
$1,000. The committee was informed
that IS per cent of the settlements
effected in United States District
Court have been for amounts under
81 1000.
Records and Reports.
The bill requires maintenance of
records of the work of each Judge
and transmittal of reports at regular
Intervals to the Attorney General
and the District Commissioners as
guide in measuring the efficiency
of the judges.
The Senate committee decided
against including Juvenile Court in
the consolidation, believing that,
since its work is more concerned
with social than legal problems, it
should continue to function sepa-
rately. The new Municipal Court
of Appeals will serve as a reviewing
body for the Juvenile Court, how
ever. The procedure in the small
claims branch of Municipal Court
also is left unchanged.
Senator McCarran also filed late
yesterday the favorable report the
committee ordered a week ago on
the bill to merge in one new boaro
the recreational activities now di-
rected separately by the Board OF
Education, the District Commis.
sioners and the National Parks
ONCE. Both measures will be con-
sidered whenever the Senate takes
up the unanimous consent calendar