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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