AMERICAN COURTS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 102, 24 January 1936, Page 10

AMERICAN COURTS

N.Z. Lawyer’s Visit “INCREDIBLY INFORMAL” American court-trials are an entertainment, because of their surprising informality, according to Air. C. S. Thomas, of Christchurch, who has just returned to New Zealand from 9 visit to California. He attended as a spectator a murdei trial at Santa Barbara. “Americans never fail to advertise the best aud largest," be said, “but they fail to tell you the worst—their system of criminal justice. I was as touuded at the absolute lack of dignity and the informality in their courts. At the Santa Barbara trial, be continued, the judge was- a chatty pe-’ son, who, at one stage, when a sur veyor was having difficulty in pinning up a plan, stepped from the bench and offered assistance. Illustrative of the lengths to which this free and easy justice went. Air. Thomas said that during a "I’ecess. ’ everybody in the court walked about talking, aud the mau who, to all appearances. .was about to lie hanged, stepped from the dock aud chatted amiably with several young women who were interested spectators. Mr. Thomas described the trial as an entertainment, and said that New Zealanders could rest assured that the court scenes which they saw in American films were no exaggeration