Evening star., 1953-09-27
Long Trials Of Reds
Add 10 Congestion in
Some Federal Courts

M1C-CO11SuIII1I1S NOulII1U1llSL
trials" added to critical con-
gestion in some Federal courts,
Henry p. Chandler, director of
the Administrative Office of
United States Courts, reported
yesterday.
His report, issued after ap-
proval at the annual session of
the Judicial Conference here
earlier in the week, cited the
still unmet need" for more Fed
eral judges and an unprece-
dented load Of new civil cases.
Besides the lengthiness of
trials Of various Communist
leaders accused Of advocating
overthrow of the Government
by force, main factors Mr..
Chandler listed as clogging
dockets in many Metropolitan
Area Federal courts included
expansion of private industry,
increased Federal governmental
activities, population growths
and more automobile accident
suits. The number of bankruptcy
cases during the last fiscal year
reached 40,087. highest since
1912, he added.
Criminal DOckets Improve.
The report noted that criminal
docketS of most Federal courts
are in better shape than a year
ago. But it called attention to
unusually long trials in New
York, Maryland California and
Pennsylvania, and another still
going on in Missouri, which de-
layed action on other pending
criminal cases. These long trials
involved Government prosecu-
ton of Communist leaders for
violation of the Smith Act, which
makes it a felony to teach or ad-
vocate violent overthrow of the
Government.
In the year that has passed."
Mr.. Chandler said, "the conges-
ton and delay in many courts
has been intensified by a con-
tinuance of the increase in cases
filed and the failure of enactment
thus far of the legislation intro
duced to provide for additional
circuit and district judges"
Congress adjourned last month
without House and Senate con-
ference agreement on a bill pro-
viding for three additional cir
cult judgships and 28 district
judgships.
Civil Cases Increase.
Reporting that the number of
civil cases has increased Is per
cent in the last two years and
that the backlog of pending
cases last June 80 stood at 66, 1878,
the highest in history, Mr..
Chandler declared:
"This backlog entails an in
crease in the time that litigants
have to wait in order to get a
trial Of contested cases. The
median period from filing to
disposition of normal civil cases
terminated by trial in the So
districts increased from 12.1
months in 1852 to 12.4 in 1858.
In New York and Brooklyn dis
tricts the periods were 47.3 and
32.6 months.
3 What this means to litigants
in reparation of wrongs delayed,
in unjust settlements which
are practically compulsory for
parties who cannot afford to-
wait for the process of the
courts, and in legal rights left
in doubt because the courts
have not been able to reach the
questions involved, need not be
elaborated. Certainly, a great
country like the United States
owe it to its people to provide
for its courts in way that will
enable them to administer JUS
tice promptly and effectively"
Congestion Here Cited.
AS for the U. s. District Court
for the District of Columbia, the
report showed that already con-
gested dockets continued to fall
behind. Pending civil cases in
creased by 562 and pending GRIM
inal cases by 83.
The assignment commissioner
here estimated an increase from
19s to- a. months in the time
from placing on the calendar
to trial lin jury cases. In non-
jury cases, however, the time
lag decreased from 13 to IL
months. The courts here ac-
tually disposed of about 100
more civil cases and 14O more
criminal cases last year but this
was offset by an increase in new
cases.
The United States Courts of
Appeals in San Francisco and
New Orleans were the most heav-
lily overloaded, Mr.. Chandler
said. In lower Federal courts
there has been a falling off in
the total of criminal cases be-
cause of a decrease in cases of
illegal immigration.