Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 56 Part 1.djvu/221

 77TH CONG., 2D SESS.-CH. 207-APR. 1, 1942 and other fiduciaries: Provided, however, That the District Court of the United States for the District of Columbia shall have jurisdiction of counterclaims and crossclaims interposed in actions over which it has jurisdiction. The court shall also have jurisdiction over all cases properly pending in the Municipal Court of the District of Columbia or the Police Court of the District of Columbia on the effective date of this Act. (b) Service of process in the criminal division of the court shall be had as provided under existing law for the Police Court of the District of Columbia; service of process in the civil division of the court shall be had as provided under existing law for the Municipal Court of the District of Columbia, or in such other manner as may be prescribed by rules of court. (c) All judgments entered by The Municipal Court for the District of Columbia on or after the effective date of this Act shall remain in force for six years and no longer unless the same be docketed in the office of the clerk of the District Court of the United States for the District of Columbia. Upon payment of a fee of 50 cents the clerk of The Municipal Court for the District of Columbia shall prepare a copy of any judgment of the said court whether heretofore rendered and in force and effective on the effective date of this Act or hereafter rendered, and the same upon being docketed with the clerk of said District Court shall have the same force and effect for all purposes as if it had been a judgment of said District Court. For the docketing of the same the clerk of said District Court shall charge a fee of 50 cents. SEC .. (a) If, in any action, other than an action for equitable relief, pending on the effective date of this Act or thereafter com- menced in the District Court of the United States for the District of Columbia, it shall appear to the satisfaction of the court at any pretrial hearing thereof that the action will not justify a judgment in excess of $1,000, the court may certify such action to The Municipal Court for the District of Columbia for trial. The pleadings in such action, together with a copy of the docket entries and of any orders theretofore entered therein, shall be sent to the clerk of the said Municipal Court, together with the deposit for costs, and the case shall be called for trial in that court promptly thereafter; and shall thereafter be treated as though it had been filed originally in the said Municipal Court, except that the jurisdiction of that court shall extend to the amount claimed in such action, even though it exceed the sum of $3,000. (b) The Municipal Court for the District of Columbia shall have the power and is hereby directed to prescribe, by rules, the forms of process, writs, pleadings and motions, and practice and procedure in such court, to provide for the efficient administration of justice, and the same shall conform as nearly as may be practicable to the forms, practice, and procedure now obtaining under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Said rules shall not abridge, enlarge, or modify the substantive rights of any litigant. After their effective date all laws in conflict therewith shall be of no further force or effect: Provided, however, That nothing in this section shall be con- strued to require any change in the existing rules, procedure, or practice now in effect in the small claims and conciliation branch of the presently constituted Municipal Court of the District of Colum- bia; nor shall this Act or any section thereof in any way repeal or modify the provisions of the Act of March 5, 1938 (52 Stat. 103, ch. 43), establishing said small claims and conciliation branch. (c) The Municipal Court for the District of Columbia shall have the power to compel the attendance of witnesses from any part of 65714°-43-PT. I-13 193 Proviso. Jurisdiction of Dis- trict Court. Pending cases. Service of process. Duration of judg- ments. Docketing of copies in District Court. District Court to certify certain actions to Municipal Court. Itules of procedure. 28 U. S. C. foil. 723c. Proriso. Small claims and conciliation branch. D. C. Code§ 11-S01 to 11-820. Attendance of wit- nesses. 56 STAT.]

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