Thursday, June 13, 2019

Joseph Jones Explains Why He Thinks Franklin County Needs Recorder's Court, June 13, 1919

From The Franklin Times, Louisburg, N.C., Friday, June 13, 1919

Recorder’s Court

By Joseph C. Jones

I am greatly interested in Franklin county’s having a recorders court, for I think it one of the best most progressive and the most necessary steps that we, as a county, can take. I have often wondered if there was not some quicker and better way of disposing of many of the cases that come before our courts than by the slow method pursued by our Superior Courts; and since reading the bill giving the counties the privilege of deciding whether they should have a recorders court I am thoroughly convinced that is the surest, the most efficient and the quickest way of disposing of the great majority of the cases that have now to be settled by our Superior Court. All cases under felony may be settled in the recorders court and that, very probably, within a week after the crime is committed, that very fact, I believe, will be a great deterrent to crime for few people would care to attempt a violation of the law if they knew that a sure punishment would be inflicted upon them possibly the same day the crime was committed, certainly within a week. The next term of our Superior Court for criminal cases convenes during next October. Now suppose a man should be arrested this week for an assault or other petty crime, he would probably be tried in a magistrate’s court and bound over to the next term of the Superior Court under bond, but if he should be unable to give bond, as frequently happens, he would have to be confined in jail and fed at the county’s expense for several months until the next term of criminal court. Then at the term of court all who were witnesses or in any way connected with the case would have to attend court every day until the case is disposed of; and then there is a possibility of the case having to be continued until another term, as often happens, with the result that the county again has to board the prisoner for several months while the witnesses, etc., will have lost much valuable time from their farms, or other business, uselessly, and will have to attend the next term of court. A case similar to this occurred at the May term of our Superior Court here in Louisburg when a friend of mine was compelled to attend court every day during the week it was in session with several of his tenants and then the case was continued until next term with the result that my friend, who is a farmer, and his tenants, lost a whole week during the busy tobacco setting, cotton and corn planting season and will still have to attend the next term of court. This same case could have been settled in a recorders court within a week, and perhaps, with only one days attendance at court.

I have heard it said that a recorders court would be an added expense to the county but I cannot see it that way. In fact, my information is all the other way, that is to say that the experience of those counties now having recorders courts is that a general rule the recorders courts pay in to the county more than the expense of operating them, besides the great saving of time through the more speedy dispatch of business.

I was in Warrenton a few days ago, where they have a recorders court, and while there I asked one of the business men what he thought of their recorders court and he replied that they liked it and would not be without it, he also said that they seldom had a criminal case in their Superior Court, practically all of them being settled in the recorders court. I said “suppose your recorders court should be abolished? Would the people vote it back again?” He replied instantly, “Yes sir, we like it.” He also said the county saves a great deal of money through this court. I told him that there was some opposition to it in Franklin county. He appeared much surprised and asked me on what grounds this opposition was based. From the information I can get it appears to me greatly to the interest of all the people and especially the farmers that Franklin county have a recorders court for the time that it saves in attending court, the dispatch with which a case is settled after the crime has been committed (this alone I think sufficient to warrant a recorders court), and the decreased cost of court proceedings.

I sincerely hope that all will investigate this matter thoroughly and then vote so that Franklin County may have a recorders court.


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