Each district was governed
by a Governor, elected for two years, and a Court of Judges, consisting
of a Chief Justice, a Prosecuting Attorney, an Attorney for the Defense
and twelve Justice Jurors, who tried all felony cases and civil cases
that could not be settled by Arbitration, and who sat also as a Board of
Equalization and as Supervisors.
The law provided that eight Jurors or two-thirds of them (if any were
absent through sickness or any other reasonable cause), in every case
could bring in a verdict of guilty in criminal cases or for the
Complainant or Defendant in civil cases, and if eight did not find the
Defendant guilty, the case was dismissed-but if guilty the Defendant had
only to say "I appeal," and a copy of the evidence was sent immediately
to the Supreme Court, composed of Judges, elected by the people, one
from each district, to serve for five years.
The Court sat six days in each week, excepting four weeks inJuly-August,
when all the Courts were allowed by law four weeks' vacation. They were
required to work eight hours each day beginning at eight a. m., with one
hour rest at noon, and ending at five p.
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