Evening star., 1949-09-25
Civil Suit Trials
Delayed Longer
Here in 1948
Non-Jury Cases Took
Is Months, Others
Waited 19 Months

Waited 19 Months
Parties in civil suits tried in Dis
trict Court during the last fiscal
year had been waiting an average
of 1862 months in non-jury cases
and 10 months in jury cases be-
tween the time of filing and the
date of trial. a Federal survey
showed yesterday.
This compared with an average
interval Of 1872 months in non
jury cases and 1873 months for
jury cases tried during the 1948
fiscal period. Director Henry p.
Chandler Of the Administrative
Ofice of the United States Courts
reported.
Scheduled appointment Of three
additional judges for the District
Court and three more for the
United States Court of Appeals
here will bring a decided i'm
provement" in the docket conges-
ton. Mr.. Chandler predicted in
his annual report. President Tru-
man recently signed a bill provid-
ing for the extra judges here and
81 in other district or appellate
Jurisdictions.
Few Criminal Casoe Taft
The criminal case docket is in
excellent" shape in this district,
Mr.. Chandler said. The 1859
cases filed during the IL months
that ended last June 80 was
slightly more than during the
previous fiscal period. At the end
Of. the 1949 fiscal year, however,
1885 criminal cases had been
terminated. including many that
had been pending on July /. 1948.
This left 635 pending on July L
this year. but 376 of those could
not be tried because defendants
were fugitives, in the armed
forces, or insane. Only six of the
pending criminal cases were more
than six months old.
The e.265 civil cases pending
last June 80 were the largest in
10 years. About also of these
we're more than six months old
last June 80 and 1890 were di-
vorce cases.
The 1904 civil cases begun dur
ing the fiscal year. however, were
only one more than in 1948. The
number of cases terminated dur
ing the year was 1913, including
some Of the backlog from previous
years. The 1862 divorce actions,
about the same number as the
year before, and 1000 insanity
proceedings. 14e less than in
Il948, made up The largest classes
Of new civil cases. The United
States was d party In $50 Or the
new cases, the largest number in|
more than 10 years.
Burglary complaints led the list
in criminal cases begun In Dis
trict Court during the last fiscal
year. They totaied 326 as COM
pared with 28s in 1948 and 362
in 1947. There were 234 assault
cases. an increase Of 100; 1913
gambling cases, as against so In
l948 and 100 in 1947; 60 rape
cases as compared with SIS in
1948 and 81 In 1947; and 48 cases
involving other sex offenses as
compared with 13 in 1948 and %
in 1947.
Murder Gases Increase.
There were A murder cases, an
increase Of II over 194S and six
over 1947. Manslaughter cases
dropped from 16 to IA. Robbery
and embezzlement cases were
somewhat fewer. while the num-
Der OF automobile theft and lar
ceny cases increased slightly. The
report listed II narcotics law vio-
lation cases, as compared with q
in 1948 and "a in 1947. =
The civil docket picture was in
line with the nationwide trend.
Mr.. Chandler reported a IA per
cent increase in civil cases COM
menced in Federal district courts
throughout the country, from
about $4,000 to $4,000.
Bankruptcy cases increased ap-
proximately 40 per cent, from
1870 in 1947 to 1850 in l949
and 26,021 in 1949. This was fiot
particularly significant because
the total was abnormally low in
1947 and as many as 10000 were
filed in some of the depression
years OF the early 1930s, Mr.. Chan
dler explained.
Criminal cases started in Fed
eral courts increased more than
Z per cent. from about $4,000 to
$4,000. This resulted largely from
additional cases charging illegal
entry into the United States, par
ticularly at the Mexican border.
The Federal probation staff is
undermanned. but handled about
the same number of persons and
investigations as in 1948, Mr..
Chandler stated. He cited a sur
vey showing that 97.5 per cent of
400 persons placed on probation
In the Northern Alabama district
were free from later convictions
on felony charges. and 82.5 per
cent were free from subsequent
convictions of any crime.
PUG Urged 10 Remove
Tenth and E Bus Stop