Evolution of the Institution of Justices of the Peace in the United States

Ewa Gmurzyńska

Abstract


This article presents a history and development of the institution of justices of the peace in the United States from the beginning of formation of American democracy until modern times. It presents jurisdiction, the scope of the activities and the role of justices of the peace in several states through different periods of times. It includes a thorough discussion concerning pros and cons of justices of the peace in the U.S. legal system and general tendency of declining the institution of justices of the peace in modern times. The article includes also a discussion of the major court decisions concerning justices of the peace.


Keywords


justices of the peace; American democracy; American justice

References


Ashman A., Chapin P., Is the Bell Tolling for Non-Lawyers Judges?, “Judicature” 1976, Vol. 59.

Ashman A., Lee D.L., Non-Lawyer Judges: The Long Road North, “Chicago-Kent Law Review” 1977, Vol. 53(3).

Black’s Law Dictionary, St. Paul 2014.

Chroust A.-H., The Rise of Legal Profession in America, Norman 1965.

Conley J.M., O’Bar W.M., Fundamentals of Jurisprudence: An Ethnography of Judicial Decision Making in Informal Courts, “North Carolina Law Review” 1988, Vol. 66(3).

Constitution of the State of Michigan of 1963, www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(bcahry0at5rxjiqvbtndvngh))/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=mcl-Constitution [access: 25.07.2019].

Cook D.H., Sir William Blackstone: A Life and Legacy Set Apart for God’s Work, https://regentparents.regent.edu/acad/schlaw/student_life/studentorgs/lawreview/docs/issues/v13n1/13RegentULRev169.pdf [access: 2.09.2019].

Davis C.J., Elkins E.R., Kidd P.E., The Justice of Peace in West Virginia, Morgantown 1958.

Dolan R.J., Fenton W.B., The Justice of the Peace in Nebraska, “Nebraska Law Review” 1969, Vol. 48(2).

Dow P.E., Discretionary Justice: A Critical Inquiry, Cambridge 1981.

Farr P.C., The Evolution of the Utah’s Justice Courts, “Utah Bar Journal” 2016, Vol. 29(4).

Fieman C.A., Elewski C.A., Do Nonlawyer Justices Dispense Justice?, “New York State Bar” 1997, Vol. 69.

Findley J., The Debate over Nonlawyer Probate Judges: A Historical Perspective, “Alabama Law Review” 2010, Vol. 61.

Ford C., Civil Practice in Montana’s “People’s Courts”: The Proposed Montana Justice and City Court Rules of Civil Procedure, “Montana Law Review” 1997, Vol. 58(1).

Foster R., The Era Ends, “Michigan Bar Journal” 1997, Vol. 76.

Friedman L.M., A History of American Law, New York 1985.

Furr W.R., The Justice of the Peace in Virginia: A Neglected Aspect of the Judicary, “Virginia Law Journal” 1966, Vol. 52(1), DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1071669.

Gazell J.A., A National Perspective on Justices of the Peace and Their Future: Time for an Epitaph?, “Missisipi Law Journal” 1975, Vol. 46.

Gillespie G.C. , Historical Status and Jurisdiction of Justice of the Peace, [in:] Michigan Criminal Law & Procedure with Forms, 2010.

Hopkins S.B., Local Justice: What Every Lawyers Should Know About Louisiana’s Justices of Peace, “Louisiana Bar Journal” 2004, Vol. 52.

Israel J.H., Cornerstones of the Judicial Process, “Kansas Law Journal and Public Policy” 1993, Vol. 2.

Jacksonian Democracy, 2012, www.history.com/topics/19th-century/jacksonian-democracy [access: 10.08.2019].

Johnson R., Chapman M., Clifton J., Field J.W., Justice Courts in Oregon, “Oregon Law Review” 1973, No. 53.

Justice Courts in Oregon, “Oregon Law Review” 1973, No. 53.

Knab K.M., Courts of Limited Jurisdiction: A National Survey, Washington 1977.

Króliczek P., Udział społeczeństwa w sprawowaniu wymiaru sprawiedliwości w Stanach Zjednoczonych Ameryki, Warszawa 2018.

LaFace R.C., Schultz T.G., The Justice of the Peace Court in Florida, “University of Florida Law Review” 1965, Vol. 18.

Lamber J., Luskin M.L., Court Reform: A View from the Bottom, “Judicature” 1992, Vol. 75.

Liszewski K., Instytucja sędziów pokoju na przykładzie USA, http://repozytorium.uni.wroc.pl/Content/94843/06_K_Liszewski_Instytucja_sedziow_pokoju_na_przykladzie_USA.pdf [access: 9.08.2019].

Mansfield C.L., Disorder in the People’s Court: Rethinking the Role of Non-Lawyers Judges in Limited Jurisdiction Court Civil Cases, “New Mexico Law Review” 1999, Vol. 29.

Mizerski, Sędziowie pokoju sposobem poprawy efektowności działania polskiego systemu sprawiedliwości przy zachowaniu sędziowskiej niezależności, https://for.org.pl/pl/d/803295fb3501d01949366eebbc5009c0 [access: 9.08.2019].

Murphy J., Laws, Courts, and Lawyers Through the Years in Arizona, Tucson 1971.

Pankratz J.R., Neutral Principles and the Right to Neutral Access to the Courts, “Indiana Law Review” 1992, Vol. 67.

Pare M.F., Arizona Pagan: A Short History of Maricopa County’s Legal Profession, Chatsworth 1991.

Patane A., Old-Fashioned Justice, Law and (Dis)Order on the Arizona Frontier, “Arizona Attorney” 1998, Vol. 34 (February).

Pound R., Anachronisms and Law, “Journal of the American Judicature Society” 1920, Vol. 3.

Pound R., The Causes of Popular Dissatisfaction with the Administration of Justice, “American Law” 1906, Vol. 14.

President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice, Task Force Report: The Courts, Washington 1967.

Provine D.M., Judging Credentials: Non-lawyers Judges and the Politics of Professionalism, Chicago 1986.

Ryan J.P., Guterman J.H., Lawyers Versus Non Lawyers Town Justices: An Empirical Footnote to North v. Russell, “Judicature” 1977, Vol. 60.

Scandal of Connecticut’s Probate Courts, Statement of Prof. John H. Langbein to Conn. Legislature Committee on Program Review and Investigations, in Hartford, Conn. (Oct. 7, 2005), www.law.yale.edu/faculty/1766.htm [access: 10.08.2019].

Silberman L., Non-Attorney Justice in the United States: An Empirical Study, New York 1979.

Smith Ch.H., The Justice of the Peace System in the United States, “California Law Review” 1927, Vol. 15(2), DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3475968.

Sunderland E.R., A Study of the Justices of the Peace and Other Minor Courts, “Connecticut Bar Journal” 1947, Vol. 21.

The Consolidated Laws of New York, Annotated Book, compiled by W.M. McKinney, Northport 1916.

Tocqueville A. de, Democracy in America, Chicago 2000.

Unterzuber K., Justices of Peace and Magistrates in Virginia and West Virginia, 1977, https://scholarship.richmond.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=2194&context=masters-theses [access: 2.09.2019].

Vanlandingham K.E., The Decline of the Justice of the Peace, “University of Kansas Law Review” 1964, Vol. 12.

White G.E., The Path of American Jurisprudence, “University of Pennsylvania Law Review” 1976, Vol. 124(5), DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3311597.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/sil.2019.28.1.39-68
Date of publication: 2019-10-08 15:09:20
Date of submission: 2019-06-23 16:33:02


Statistics


Total abstract view - 1420
Downloads (from 2020-06-17) - PDF - 0 PDF (Język Polski) - 0

Indicators



Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2019 Ewa Gmurzyńska

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.