An Act to increase the jurisdiction of the municipal court for the District of Columbia in civil actions, to change the names of the court, and for other purposes
PL 87-873 (H.R.12708), enacted 10/23/1962

76 STAT.] 
PUBUC LAW 87-873-OCT. 23, 1962 
1171 
Public Law 87-873 
AN ACT 
To increase the jurisdiction of the Municipal Court for the District of Columbia 
in civil actions, to change the names of the court, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That the court estab-
lished by the first section of the Act entitled "An Act to consolidate 
the Police Court of the District of Columbia and the Municipal Court 
of the District of Columbia, to be known as 'the Municipal Court for 
the District of Columbia', to create 'the Municipal Court of Appeals 
for the District of Columbia', arid for other purposes", approved April 
1, 1942, as amended (56 Stat. 190; D.C. Code, sec. 11-751), hereafter 
shall be known as the "District of Columbia Court of General Ses-
sions". Whenever reference is made in any Act of Congress (other 
than this Act or the amendments made by this Act) or in any regula-
tion to the Municipal Court for the District of Columbia, such refer-
ence shall be held to be a reference to the District of Columbia Court 
of General Sessions. 
SEC. 2. Subsection (a) of section 4 of such Act, approved April 1, 
1942, as amended (D.C. Code, sec. 11-755(a)), is amended to read as 
follows: 
"(a) The District of Columbia Court of General Sessions, as estab-
lished by this Act, shall consist of the criminal, civil, and small claims 
and conciliation, and domestic relations branches. The court and each 
judge thereof shall have and exercise the same powers and jurisdic-
tion as were heretofore had or exercised by the Municipal Court for 
the District of Columbia or the judges thereof on the day before the 
effective date of this amendatory subsection, and in addition the said 
court shall have exclusive jurisdiction of civil actions commenced after 
the effective date of this amendatory subsection, including such actions 
against executors, administrators and other fiduciaries, in which the 
claimed value of personal property or the debt or damages claimed, 
does not exceed the sum of $10,000 exclusive of interest and costs, and, 
in addition, shall have jurisdiction of all cross-claims and counter-
claims interposed in all actions over which it has jurisdiction regard-
less of the amount involved: Provided^ however^ That nothing here-
in shall deprive the United States District Court for the District of 
Columbia of jurisdiction over counterclaims, cross-claims, or any other 
claims whether or not arising out of the same transaction or occurrence 
and interposed in actions over which the United States District Court 
for the District of Columbia has jurisdiction. The District of Colum-
bia Court of General Sessions shall also have jurisdiction over all 
cases properly pending in the Municipal Court for the District of 
Columbia on the effective date of this amendatory subsection." 
SEC. 3. Subsection (a) of section 5 of such Act approved April 1, 
1942, as amended (D.C. Code, sec. 11-756(a)), is amended to read as 
follows: 
"(a) If, in any action, other than an action for equitable relief, 
pending on the effective date of this amendatory subsection or there-
after commenced in the United States District Court for the District 
of Columbia, it shall appear to the satisfaction of the court at or sub-
sequent to any pretrial hearing but prior to trial thereof that the action 
October 23, 1962 
[H. R. 12708] 
District oi' Co-
lumbia Court of 
General Sessions. 
Designation. 
Powers and 
jurisdiction. 
Transfer of ac-
tions. 
56 Stat. 193. 
1172 
PUBLIC LAW 87-873-OCT. 23, 1962 
[76 STAT. 
Witnesses, 
attendance. 
28 u s e app. 
Repeal. 
31 Stat. 1367. 
Witness fees. 
District of Co-
lumbia Cotirt of 
Appeals. 
Designation. 
Effective date. 
will not justify a judgment in excess of $10,000, the court may certify 
such action to the District of Columbia Court of General Sessions for 
trial. The pleadings in such action, together with a copy of the docket 
entries and of any orders theretofore entered therein, shall be sent 
to the clerk of the said Court of General Sessions, together with any 
deposit for costs^and the case shall be called for trial in that court 
promptly thereafter; and shall thereafter be treated as though it had 
been filed originally in the said Court of General Sessions, except that 
the jurisdiction of that court shall extend to the amount claimed in 
such action, even though it exceed the sum of $10,000." 
SEC. 4, Subsection (c) of section 5 of such Act approved April 1, 
1942, as amended (D.C. Code, sec. 11-756 (c)), is amended to read as 
follows: 
"(c) The District of Columbia Court of General Sessions shall have 
the power to compel the attendance of witnesses by attachment and any 
judge thereof shall have the power in any case or proceeding whether 
civil or criminal to punish for disobedience of any order, or contempt 
committed in the presence of the court by a fine not exceeding $50 or 
imprisonment not exceeding thirty days. At the request of any party 
subpenas for attendance at a hearing or trial in the District of Colum-
bia Court of General Sessions shall be issued by the clerk of the said 
court. A subpena may be served at any place within the District 
of Columbia, or at any place without the District of Columbia that is 
within one hundred miles of the place of the hearing or trial specified 
in the subpena. The form, issuance and manner of service of a sub-
pena shall be as prescribed by Rule 45 of the Federal Rules of Civil 
Procedure." 
SEC. 5. (a) Section 1114 of the Act entitled "An Act to establish a 
code of law for the District of Columbia", approved March 3, 1901 
(31 Stat. 1189; D.C. Code, sec. 11-1520), is hereby repealed. 
(b) The paragraph relating to witness fees under the heading "Dis-
trict of Columbia" in the Act entitled "An Act making appropriations 
to supply deficiencies in the appropriations for the fiscal year ending 
June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and two, and for prior years, and 
for other purposes", approved July 1, 1902 (32 Stat. 552, 561; D.C. 
Code, sec. 11-1520a), is amended by striking cases in the police court 
of the District of Columbia" and inserting in lieu thereof "criminal 
cases in the District of Columbia Court of General Sessions". 
(c) The fees and travel allowances to be paid any witness compelled 
by subpena to attend any branch of the District of Columbia Court 
of General Sessions other than the criminal branch shall be the same 
amount as paid a witness compelled to attend before the United States 
District Court for the District of Columbia. 
SEC. 6. The court established by section 6 of the Act of April 1, 
1942 (56 Stat. 190; D.C. Code, sec. 11-771), hereafter shall be known 
as the "District of Columbia Court of Appeals". Wherever refer-
ence is made in any Act of Congress (other than this Act) or in any 
regulation to the Municipal Court of Appeals for the District of 
Columbia, such reference shall be held to be a reference to the District 
of Columbia Court of Appeals. 
SEC. 7. This Act shall take effect on the first day of the first month 
which begins after the sixtieth day following the date of its enactment. 
Approved October 23, 1962.