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Show By ROSELYN KIRK Bountiful City Judge Mark Johnson said a proposed judicial reform bill, a plan drafted by a joint judicial and legislative committee, will be introduced in the Utah Legislature in January. THE BILL will provide basic changes in the city court system. A joint committee com-mittee of the Judicial Council and the Legislature, assisted by experts from the National Center For State Courts, is preparing the bill. . Judge Johnson said other proposals for legal reforms have been sponsored, but never has such a thorough and exhaustive study been undertaken. Since the legislature will sponsor the bill in its final form, Judge Johnson is hopeful it will get through the session. JUDGE JOHNSON is a member of the Judicial Council, Coun-cil, along with four district judges, one supreme court justice and one justice of the peace. The proposal suggested by the joint committee would provide for city courts to become circuit courts, 2) an increase in jurisdiction, 3) city courts to become courts of record, 4) abolition of de novo appeal, 5) central administration ad-ministration and state financing, and the elimination elimina-tion of part time judges. THE UTAH Constitution provides for the Supreme Court, district courts and justices of peace. It further provides that other courts be established as needed by the legislature. City courts and juvenile courts were created as a result of legislative action. ac-tion. The area of jurisdiction for the Supreme Court is the state. District courts have statewide jurisdiction. City courts have jurisdiction within the county. THE NEW circuit courts would be state courts and have statewide jurisdiction. City Courts in Bountiful, Layton and Clearfield would become circuit courts with judges sharing the load in court cases. At present, though city courts have county-wide jurisdiction, there is no provision for a circuit concept. con-cept. Circuit court judges would "ride circuit" to hold court in all county seat cities which are not resident circuit courthouse locations. AT PRESENT, though city courts have county-wide jurisdiction, there is no provision for a circuit concept. con-cept. In the proposed circuit court plan, one judge relieves another with a larger trial load. Another reform would give circuit judges jurisdiction in civil suits up to $5,000. The present ceiling is $2,500. This would release district court judges from much civil work. THE REFORM would also increase the criminal jurisdiction juris-diction from Class B misdemeanors to Class A misdemeanors. A Class B misdemeanor carries a limit of a $299 fine and six months in jail. A Class A misdemeanor mis-demeanor carries a maximum one-year penalty and a $1,000 fine. A further reform would call for circuit courts to become courts of record, eliminating the de novo appeal. Since the district court, not the city court, is the only court of record, appellants from the city court are allowed a new trial- de novo- in the district courts. JUDGE JOHNSON pointed to the Allan Howe case as a prime example. Though Rep. Howe had an exhaustive trial in the city court, the case was appealed to the district court and re-tried de novo. Another trial is allowed because city courts are not courts of record. Proceedings are not recorded by court reporters as they are in district dis-trict courts. Since the proceedings are not recorded, any trial in city courts may be re-tried on appeal. THE DISTRICT court starts over again, Judge Johnson said. "Elimination of the de novo appeal would be a tremendous improvement." Circuit courts would be supplied with electronic recording equipment. The belts and tapes could later be transcribed by a stenographer, meeting the requirements for a court of record. JUDGE JOHNSON feels the de novo trial is a waste. Judges in city courts by law have the same qualifications as district judges and supreme court justices. "Since the plaintiff has already received a trial, another before a judge who is no more qualified than the first, is an imposition on the people of the state," Judge Johnson said. He cited the , Allan Howe case. The jury was sequestered seques-tered for several days, and the city court trial was exhaustive. Yet Howe did not testify and appealed the case to the district court and started over again. "This is "Sumeoco1!Us PenW- Circuit y ate to pay L"; los? "bsta Z under the ,y i , Johnson said : |