Before California abolished “Justice Courts” presided over by JPs (Justices of the Peace), I used to appear in them as a young deputy DA in rural Contra Costa County.
The JP in one town was the town barber, not legally trained, with the ‘court’ room being above the shop.
The horseback justice he administered bore no resemblance to any Constitution you and I are probably familiar with.
In the neighboring burg, court was held in the day room of the local firehouse seated on couches.
The purpose of justice courts as I came to understand them was to dispense economical and speedy justice in traffic violations (moving) and misdemeanors, with an emphasis on the two adjectives.
Jury trials were not to be encouraged when the emphasis is on speed and economy.
The JP often knew his charges fairly well, from the cops to the miscreants, and could sometimes tell them apart.
The Justice Court was often the Supreme Court and the guy who presided was John Marshall, as far as the townsfolk were concerned.
Quite an experience for a kid from NYC.
I think Duncan v. Louisiana (1967, as I recall w/o looking) did the Justice Courts in, guaranteeing jury trials for crimes with more than six months CJ, as best I can figure.
That and the objection to the unlearned administering justice to the unwashed.
Bob Sheridan
SFLS
(Another extract from the Conlawprofs list threads)