It’s my understanding that Circuit Court Judges traveled a well beaten path (a circuit) holding trials in various county seat courthouses.
Is that still true? Substituting a horse for an automobile? Or are they now typically based in a single courtroom? Requiring the prosecutor and defendant to come to them?
For example, I’ve been following the trial of Zach Adams for the abduction, rape and murder of Holly Bobo in Decatur county TN.
Here’s a link to the judge’s page. He serves Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin, and Henry counties in Tennessee.
So, does he routinely travel and hold trials in those counties?
As you may remember county boundaries were set so you could drive your horse and buggy or wagon to the county seat and back within a day. It seems to have escaped the notice of state legislatures that people have switched to automobiles and can drive much farther now in a day–and thus substantial consolidation of county courthouses would be desirable.
In my small and very rural locale court proceedings have to wait on a circuit judge to get finished with trials in neighboring counties. I imagine it’s quite trying if you’re waiting on the process to finish. Vey large or more serious cases are moved to a bigger town. I have been on jury duty for 2 mos. now and have not received a summons yet. There is a big murder trial going on in the next county, I’m assuming that is why.
I once spent several days in the Nacogdoches County jail smoking pot with the black inmates while waiting for the circuit judge. They had real bacon and eggs for breakfast.
Here in Minnesota, we have some counties larger than entire US states or territories. Some of the Court work in those, is done via closed-circuit TV connections, rather than transporting either the Judge, prisoner, or anybody else around. This usually for mainly preliminary hearings & motions, not actual trials.
I’ve heard the same thing about county seats. They tried to make the county seat accessable to people that used horses.
I don’t have a Cite. It’s something I’ve always been told. Some research on Google maps could test the story. The county seat should be roughly 25 to 30 miles from the county line. The county seat (even today) is usually the biggest town, has the most stores, restaurants, and doctors. It’s an important resource for the locals in rural areas.
No, they have to be able to get there and back home in a day. So it’s more like 12 miles. Here in Minnesota, we have many towns along the railroad lines, that grew up around railroad stops, Each is roughly 10-12 miles from the next town.
My county is in the 3rd Judicial Circuit which is comprised of 14 counties served by 6 circuit court judges and 2 magistrate judges. So, I would assume, they do travel from county to county.