Did you know this?
http://www.oregonbeacon.com/CoquilleSentinel/articles/1344/1/Did-you-know-this/Page1.html
Dorothy Taylor
By Dorothy Taylor
Published on 06/1/2009
COOS COUNTY'S JUDGES FROM 1859 TO PRESENT
Judges have been with us forever. Moses in the bible was probaby the first judge, but let's not go back that far! All of the judges of Coos County that can be determine should be sufficient! Coos County was created from western parts of Umpqua and Jackson Counties on December 22, 1853 by the territorial legislative assembly. In 1855, Curry County was formed from the southern part of Coos County. Empire City was named as the county seat of Coos County. Oregon became a state in 1859 with the first Coos County election being held
The Oregon State Library in Salem (research done by Joe Stephens, director of the State of Oregon Law Library) tells me that " In the Territorial period (1848-59) there was a Supreme Court of three justices, who also sat as district judges in the three judicial district. For judicial purposes, Coos County was attached to Umpqua County and the district court for the third judicial district was held in Umpqua County on the fourth Mondays in May and November. After statehood there were four Supreme Court justices, each elected from one of the four judicial districts and serving individually as judge of the Circuit court for that district.
Coos county was part of the second district. In 1862, the Legislature added a fifth justice to the Supreme Court, and a fifth judicial district, serving several eastern Oregon counties. The constitution also provided for county judges to be elected for each county. So if a Coos County judge was also a member of the Supreme court, he was in Coos County, a circuit judge. If not, he was a county judge." I've never been able to determine the difference in their duties. "The Constitution provided splitting Supreme Court justices from the Circuit Courts when the population of the state reached 200,000 and that apparently occurred by 1878, when the Legislature reduced the number of justices to three and ended their election from judicial districts.
Circuit Court judges were now elected from each of the still-five judicial districts beginning in 1880. If you have only a judges name, it might be difficult to tell whether he was a circuit judge or a county judge. If there are elections records at the county seat, you might be able to tell whether it was a county election or if it involved the whole district." Which in simpler language means that at first, the Circuit Court judges were appointed and after 1880 Circuit Court judges were elected but from the entire district, while a county judge would be elected in their jurisdiction. Searching county election records to see whether a judge's position was circuit court or county would take for ever and change nothing.
This would add to your knowledge but not much else unless you have to appear before a judge when you might possibly be wondering where judges came from. Being a judge is not easy. With it comes much responsibility and good judgment. Now you know where that word comes from --"judgment'. Three county commissioners, a sheriff and a probate court judge were appointed to serve Coos County until an election could be held. Coos Counties first probate judge, Charles Pierce, was appointed April 12, 1854 to December 18, 1854 by the Oregon Territorial Legislature. The second one, R.S. Belknap was appointed to Sept 4, 1855.
Those two would have been Circuit Court Judges. Samuel S.Mann was the first elected Coos County judge beginning July 4, 1859 when Oregon became a state. In 1859 Obediah B. McFadden was associate supreme court judge. There were three supreme court judges, each presiding over one of the states 3 districts. The judges were: James T. Brand, Marshfield; G.F. Skipworth, Eugene; Carl Wimberly, Roseburg. James T. Brand would be Coos County's representative and a Circuit court judge. There is much information regarding where the sessions were held in Salem and the cost of the buildings. After many moves, a fire, rebuilding and several additions, the building was completed in 1914 for the first session of court in the building at Salem. It was the 55th anniversary of Oregon's statehood. Total cost for the new building was $320,000, all of this in the name of justice and to establish judges! I remember one time being called to serve on a city jury, but no attempt is going to be made to research those courts. This will be a series with a possbility of a break here and there for other information.
(Ed note: This year is Oregon's 150th anniversary). Since Judge Samuel Mann was the first elected for Coos County, we will start with him and finish with Coquille's present Circuit Court judges, Richard Barron, Michael Gillespie and Martin Stone. (continued next week)
COOS COUNTY'S JUDGES FROM 1859 TO PRESENT
Judges have been with us forever. Moses in the bible was probaby the first judge, but let's not go back that far! All of the judges of Coos County that can be determine should be sufficient! Coos County was created from western parts of Umpqua and Jackson Counties on December 22, 1853 by the territorial legislative assembly. In 1855, Curry County was formed from the southern part of Coos County. Empire City was named as the county seat of Coos County. Oregon became a state in 1859 with the first Coos County election being held
The Oregon State Library in Salem (research done by Joe Stephens, director of the State of Oregon Law Library) tells me that " In the Territorial period (1848-59) there was a Supreme Court of three justices, who also sat as district judges in the three judicial district. For judicial purposes, Coos County was attached to Umpqua County and the district court for the third judicial district was held in Umpqua County on the fourth Mondays in May and November. After statehood there were four Supreme Court justices, each elected from one of the four judicial districts and serving individually as judge of the Circuit court for that district.
Coos county was part of the second district. In 1862, the Legislature added a fifth justice to the Supreme Court, and a fifth judicial district, serving several eastern Oregon counties. The constitution also provided for county judges to be elected for each county. So if a Coos County judge was also a member of the Supreme court, he was in Coos County, a circuit judge. If not, he was a county judge." I've never been able to determine the difference in their duties. "The Constitution provided splitting Supreme Court justices from the Circuit Courts when the population of the state reached 200,000 and that apparently occurred by 1878, when the Legislature reduced the number of justices to three and ended their election from judicial districts.
Circuit Court judges were now elected from each of the still-five judicial districts beginning in 1880. If you have only a judges name, it might be difficult to tell whether he was a circuit judge or a county judge. If there are elections records at the county seat, you might be able to tell whether it was a county election or if it involved the whole district." Which in simpler language means that at first, the Circuit Court judges were appointed and after 1880 Circuit Court judges were elected but from the entire district, while a county judge would be elected in their jurisdiction. Searching county election records to see whether a judge's position was circuit court or county would take for ever and change nothing.
This would add to your knowledge but not much else unless you have to appear before a judge when you might possibly be wondering where judges came from. Being a judge is not easy. With it comes much responsibility and good judgment. Now you know where that word comes from --"judgment'. Three county commissioners, a sheriff and a probate court judge were appointed to serve Coos County until an election could be held. Coos Counties first probate judge, Charles Pierce, was appointed April 12, 1854 to December 18, 1854 by the Oregon Territorial Legislature. The second one, R.S. Belknap was appointed to Sept 4, 1855.
Those two would have been Circuit Court Judges. Samuel S.Mann was the first elected Coos County judge beginning July 4, 1859 when Oregon became a state. In 1859 Obediah B. McFadden was associate supreme court judge. There were three supreme court judges, each presiding over one of the states 3 districts. The judges were: James T. Brand, Marshfield; G.F. Skipworth, Eugene; Carl Wimberly, Roseburg. James T. Brand would be Coos County's representative and a Circuit court judge. There is much information regarding where the sessions were held in Salem and the cost of the buildings. After many moves, a fire, rebuilding and several additions, the building was completed in 1914 for the first session of court in the building at Salem. It was the 55th anniversary of Oregon's statehood. Total cost for the new building was $320,000, all of this in the name of justice and to establish judges! I remember one time being called to serve on a city jury, but no attempt is going to be made to research those courts. This will be a series with a possbility of a break here and there for other information.
(Ed note: This year is Oregon's 150th anniversary). Since Judge Samuel Mann was the first elected for Coos County, we will start with him and finish with Coquille's present Circuit Court judges, Richard Barron, Michael Gillespie and Martin Stone. (continued next week)