Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-22
Judge Coyton Will Retire Feb. %,
But Stoy Legally Busy NonetheIess
BY RICHARD RODGERS

Cale1 Judge HaJnan layton Is
stepping down" from the Mu-
nicipal Court Of Appeals here
next month into retirement"
and the quotation marks are
advisable.
The step-down will consist Of
removing perhaps one foot from
the bench platform, and shrug-
ging one arm from his robe.
Retirement" Is even more
misleading. Judge Cayton still
will be presiding for some time
since he is on call for substitute
work. And when he isn't on the
leity's appellate court docket he
will be busy arbitrating and con-
ciliating private and government
tai cases.
Half Of Life On Bench
Nathan Cayton has given more
than half his life to the Munich
pal Court. He has served 1t and
Its appeals court steadily since
President Coolidge named him to
a judseship in 1877. At the age
of 20. he was the youngest
Municipal jurist in District his
tory. He now has the longest
judicial service Of any District
or Federal Judge in Washington.
When he gets around to de-
voting full time to arbitration.
II that time ever comes. It will be
a continuation Of his judging
career. He has served as arbi-
TRAITOR more frequently than any
other Judge In the, District. His
more notable peace-maker roles
mere involved ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
disputes in the Safeway grocery
chain, Chevy Chase-Chestnut
Farms Dairy Co. and the WASH
lington Gas Light Co.
For at least a while. however.
he will continue operating occa-
sionally as Judge. For one
thing, the man named to replace
him. United States Attorney Leo
A. Rover. can hardly sit on cases
instituted by the Government
prosecutors ONCE while Mr..
Rover headed it. The retired"
Judge Cayton win be available.
He will also be on call in case a !
Municipal Appeals Judge is sick. |
disqualified or otherwise inca
pacitated.
Small Claims Court "Father"
The man has had an imposing
influence over Municipal Court
affairs. Probably the most ap-
pealing, at least to laymen. is
the impact he exerted by giving
defendants fair deal in small
claims cases. There have been
thousands of bewildered defend
ants who never even heard of
Nathan Cayton, but who bene-
fitted from his work.
Judge Cayton Is usually re-
garded as the father Of the Small
Claims Court here While purists
frown on such synonyms as
Poor Mans Court" or Poor
Debtors Court" those descrip-
ltions might convey a better idea
of what such q court does.
About 20 years ago, Judge Cay
ton. then a wise old man in his
30s. dived headlong into q fight
to set up q Small Claims Court
system here.
Before he slugged it out sue
ceSsfully for a shakeup in han
ding small claims. a typical
case might 60 something like
this:
A merchant would claim a
customer owed him s37. The
vendor would haul the customer
into Municipal Court. The de-
| PENDANT frequently was having
his first brush with the law.
Defendants Losers
He would shuf1le into court,
unaccompanied by counsel. and
listen open-mouthed while the
Judge would rattle of legal lingo
telling him which red tape he
must endure. Then the man
would reel away as though
dubbed by the Harvard Law
Library, trying desperately to fig-
ure out what q writ was. where
Ito get one and what to do with
| it.
1.-THE defendant" Judge Cay