AMERICAN COURTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20964, 1 March 1930, Page 25

AMERICAN COURTS.

TOTAL LACK OF DIGNITY. NEW ZEALAND SOLICITOR’S IMPRESSIONS. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, February 28. “ Two-thirds of the courts iu America are ruled off with seats like a picture show. There is no dignity or ceremony about the procedure. The judge and jurors chew tobacco all the-' time. It is hard for New Zealanders to imagine courts conducted in this way,” said Mr J. J. Terry, the Auckland solicitor, who accompanied John Grey to Texas. The American courts, he added, were farcical compared with those of New Zealand. Mr Terry arrived home this morning. He was one of the Aorangi’s passengers who was quarantined at Motuihi Island. Mr Terry mentioned the trial of A. B. Croach, or John Grey, as he is known in New Zealand. Everything was arranged successfully and everybody concerned was quite happy. The City National Bank of Temple. Texas, was quite satisfied with the result of the trial and after Crouch’s acquittal the hank gave him a letter of appreciation for the honourable way in which he had worked.

“In principle and practice our courts are obviously superior to those in America,” said Mr Terry. “The Americans themselves admit that fact. The judges, district attorneys, and all other court officials are elected by the people by open franchise. No man is arrested until the grand jury has brought in a true bill against him. The district attorney handles all cases, and on the merits of each one he decides whether the case will go to the grand jury. If a true bill is returned, then the* man concerned is arrested.”

Solicitors’ fees are exceptionally high in the States. Mr Terry mentioned that they get large sums for court work, but they have to work long hours. They start at 8 o’clock in the morning and finish at 5 o’clock at nighty including Saturdays. There is no half-holiday for them. One lawyer told Mr Terry that he recently won a case against a railroad eoriipany and was given judgment for £IO,OOO. He earned £SOOO in fees.