The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1954-11-11
Resident Judge
For County To
Be Appointed
Statewide Favor To Cues
ton On Ballot Will Bring
Judgeship Here

As the result of a favorable
statewide vote on question Number
-Four on the November election bal
lot, Garrett County will have a
resident judge. This proposed
amendment was opposed in this
county by an official tabulation of
l ,36l to 629, and was likewise OPP
posed in Allegany county, but was
approved in other sections Of the
state with more than enough votes
to offset the vote in the two west
ern counties.
Specifically the amendment will
add a judge in Montgomery, Prince
Georges, Anne Arundel and Balti-
more counties, and will give resi-
dent Judge for the first time to
Garrett and St. Mary's counties.
Two judicial circuits on the Eastern
Shore were exempted from the
original bill so that the new amend
ment will not affect them.
The appointment will be in the
hands of Governor Theodore r. Nc
Keldin, and he will be guided par
italy by the recommendations of
the members of the Garrett Coun-
ty Bar. Several Of the attorneys
are Of the opinion that State Sena-
tor Neil c. Fraley will receive the
appointment, but others would be
eligible. Other attorneys in the
county are c. c. Nathan, Benz.
Epstein, Grantsville; w. r. Offutt,
S. f. Hamill, ST., S. F. Hamill, Jr.,
f. Ray Jones, Lewis r. Jones, Wal
ter W. Dawson, William O. Treacy,
Asa T. Matthews, S. r. Pagcnhardt
and W. Dwight Slower.
The appointment will be made 50
that there will be a resident Judge
by January, 1865. The appointment
will be for two years, until the
next regular election, at which
time a judge will be elected for a
term of fifteen years.
According to information pro-
vided by local attorneys the salary
of the judge will be $4,000 annual
ly, which is included in the gov
errors state budget, and does not
affect the county in direct taxes.
Salaries of all judges Of the state
and the court of appeals appear in
the state budget. According to the
best information now available, at
torncys are of the opinion that the
judgcship will cause no additional
levy of local funds. If a full-time
court stenographer was needed, or
an office outside of the court house
was necessary, these two items
would change the picture locally,
but attorneys were of the opinion
neither would be needed. Both AL
legany and Washington counties,
however, have full-time court stem
ographers.
The new amendment does not
legislate any judge out of office,
but when a Judge dies or reaches
retirement in Allegany county
there will be only the one judge
there, according to present stat
utcs. The two judges in Allegany
county and the one judge in Wash
ington county receive salaries Of
$4,000 annually, but the addition
al $4,000 was made mandatory 10y
legislative enactment i'm the 1858
session, with the counties paying
their proportionate share of the in
crease. Because of these, Garrett
county now pays 5000 annually to-
ward the three present judges sala-
rics in the Fourth Judicial Circuit.
In the future resident judges will
he elected by the counties in which
they serve. The naming of addi-
tional judges would be possible by
an act of the legislature, it was
stated. The present Judges were
elected by vote of citizens of all
three counties. Joseph d. Mish, of
Hagcrstown, is chief judge of the
circuit and George Henderson and
Morgan c. Harris are associate
Judges, both Of Cumberland.