Page:Bench and bar of Colorado - 1917.djvu/30

26 the growth of the business of the courts, four judicial districts proved inadequate within a few years. In order to give relief and bring about a speedier administration of justice, the general assembly in 1881 increased the number of judicial districts to seven and provided for seven judges, one for each district. Seven judges soon were no more able to attend to all of the business of the district courts than four had been. Dockets became more and more congested, especially in Denver, Pueblo and Leadville, the largest cities in the state in those days. When the bill creating seven districts was enacted by the general assembly an attempt was made to further lighten the burdens of the Denver district judge by the creation of a special criminal court. The bill providing for such a court was passed but declared unconstitutional.

In 1883 the next general assembly, realizing that the congestion of the court business was becoming serious, again considered relief measures. The result was that a bill was passed creating special criminal courts in Arapahoe, Pueblo and Lake counties. These courts were given jurisdiction over all criminal cases, with the exception of capital offenses. In Arapahoe County further relief for the district court was provided at the same time by the establishment of a Superior Court. This court had concurrent jurisdiction with the district court but its jurisdiction did not extend beyond the limits of the City of Denver.

The criminal courts remained until 1889 when they, and with it Denver's Superior Court, were abolished by the Seventh General Assembly. That body of lawmakers simply failed to make any provision for the maintenance of these courts and ordered the cases pending in them transferred to the district court. During the six years of its existence the Denver Criminal Court had only two judges, Platt Rogers, still an active member of the Denver bar, and Wilbur F. Stone, who was appointed to this court after he had completed his term on the Supreme bench.