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 88-60 (H.R.3537), enacted 07/08/1963

77 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 88-60-JULY 8, 1963 
77 
(b) Section 4(8) of such Act (73 Stat. 711; 5 U.S.O. 3003(3)) is 
amended by striking out ", and which on July 1,1959, provided health 
benefits to members of the organization''. 
Approved July 8, 1963. 
Public Law 88-60 
AN A C T 
July 8, 1963 
To increase the jurisdiction of tlie Municipal Court for the District of Columbia 
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' •^^•^^^ 
in civil actions, to change the names of the court, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress a^sembled^ That the court estab- 
District of co-
lished by the first section of the Act entitled "An Act to consolidate the lumbia court of 
Police Court of the District of Columbia and the Municipal Court of ^^""Jg^^^ti^o^n""^' 
the District of Columbia, to be known as 'the Municipal Court for the 
^^^^na ion. 
District of Columbia', to create 'the Municipal Court of Appeals for 
the District of Columbia', and 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 Sessions". 
Whenever reference is made in any Act of Congress (other than this 
Act or the amendments made by this Act) or in any regulation to the 
Municipal Court for the District of Columbia, such reference 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- ,uri°^ic«on"*^ 
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 jurisdiction 
as were heretofore had or exercised by the Municipal Court for the 
District of Columbia or the judges thereof on the day before the effec-
tive 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 herein 
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 6 of such Act approved April 1, 
Transfer of 
1942, as amended (D.C. Code, sec. 11-756(a)), is amended to read as 
follows: 
78 
PUBLIC LAW 88-60-JULY 8, 1963 
[77 STAT. 
Witnesses, 
attendance. 
28 u s e app. 
3^ Stat. 1367. 
Witness fees. 
District of Co-
lumbia Court of 
Appeals. 
Designation. 
Effective date. 
" (a) If, in any action, other than an action for equitable relief, pend-
ing on the eflfective date of this amendatory subsection or thereafter 
commenced in the United States District Court for the District of 
Columbia, it shall appear to the satisfaction of the court at or sub-
sec[uent to any pretrial hearing but prior to trial thereof that the action 
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. 11-7.56 (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 Columbia Coui-t 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 twenty-five miles of the place of the hearing or trial 
specified in the subpena. The form, issuance and manner of service of 
a subpena shall be as otherwise 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 
"District of Columbia" in the Act entitled "An Act making appro-
priations 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. ll-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 (^olumbia 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 reference 
is made in any Act of Congre^ (other than this Act) or in any regula-
tion to the Municipal Court of Appeals for the District of Coilumbia, 
such reference shall be held to be a reference to the District of Colum-
bia Court of Appeals. 
SEC. 7. This Act shall take effect as of January 1,1963. 
Approved July 8, 1963.