Page 2 THE BATTALION
FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 1975
The politics behind the new court
Sen. Moore, Judge Vance not best of friends
/
By ROD SPEER
Bill Vance, the county judge,
didn’t realize his job had become
so complex that it would be split
into two positions, until he heard
the word from the State Legisla
ture.
Early this year, State Senator
Bill Moore of Bryan sponsored a
bill calling for the establishment
of a county court-at-law for Brazos
County. The bill
will take the re
sponsibility for
the county’s civil
and criminal jur
isdiction away
from the county
judge, allowing
him to concen-i r
trate his efforts' '
as top administrator of the county.
The bill, which will take effect
in 1977, transfers the work of the
County Court to the court-at-law,
phasing out the County Court. The
County Attorney, County Clerk
and Sheriff will work for the new
court, but a separate judge will
be elected to the new court-at-law.
The bill has passed the Senate
and the House and awaits the gov
ernor’s signature.
Bill Moore contends the county
needs a fulltime judge over civil
and criminal cases. In an interview
Wednesday, he talked about the
county’s fantastic growth.
Judge Vance, County Attorney
Roland Searcy and the county’s
elected administrators, the Com
missioners Court, don’t understand
what’s all the fuss over a county
court-at-law, when the county
court s current caseload hasn’t
been significantly different from
recent years.
The commissioners passed a res
olution condemning the creation
of the new court, calling it an un
necessary expense. (The commis
sioners say the court will cost the
county an additional $75,000 the
first year and $60,000 in following
years. (Those figures are padded
somewhat, including salaries for
a court reporter and bailiff, which
the County Court is managing
without.)
Neither Moore, nor State Rep.
Bill Presnal, who sponsored the
bill in the House, talked with coun
ty officials about the need for court-
at-law.
Moore said in a tone of bitterness
and impatience, “I certainly didn’t
talk to them (the commissioners),”
adding they’re not qualified to
speak on the question. He said
he’s managed to introduce a host
of bills in this legislature without
consulting the county commis
sioners.
Presnal told The Battalion he
talked with the record keepers in
Austin, who indicated there is a
need for the new court. He said
he also talked to District Judge
Bill Davis and “many constituents
and attorneys in Bryan.”
Judge Davis said Thursday he is
“not for or against” creating the new
court. He said he told Presnal last
year the area needs another district
court, but establishing a court-at-
law would help the pressure on his
court. The new court-at-law will
have more civil jurisdiction than the
present County Court, which has a
set civil jurisdiction under the state
constitution.
Davis told Senator Moore the
time was approaching when a new
district court would be added.
Moore told him a new district court
would be hard to get, but he would
be for the court-at-law.
Vance is not sure what motivated
our state senator to push the bill
on emergency basis, a bill which
seems to serve only to split the
authority and influence of the coun
ty judge. Vance does think aperson-
ality conflict could be involved. For
the record, he would only say, “I
don’t think he (Moore) likes me.”
Off the record, Vance related a few
recent incidents which have caused
more than a small bit of friction
between the two men.
Moore denied any personality
conflict with Vance, but several
times in Wednesday’s conversation
Moore showed he has no love for
the county judge or the county com
missioners.
“If I really told you what I
thought about the man,” Moore
said, “you wouldn’t be able to print
it.” At another time, the state sen
ator said Vance is being paid more
than he’s worth.
Moore called the commissioners
court a “mutual admiration socie
ty,” whose only objection to the
new court is having to pay for a
new judge and having less funds to
raise their own pay.
Regardless of the reasoning be
hind it, the Brazos County Court-
at-Law is about to become reality.
And in 1976, Bill Vance will have
to choose between directing the
paving of county roads or remain
the administrator of justice for
DWI cases and marijuana offenders
by running for the judgeship of the
new county court-at-law.
’/ THINK WE CMG£TA RETURN BOUT WITH ISRAEL, IE THAT HELPS.
ilKSfil
Dead elephants vote
Editor:
Student Government has shown
an admirable desire to make elec
tions more meaningful through the
regulation of filing and campaign
practices. But it has overlooked a far
more serious source of voting distor
tion.
As a graduating senior I took little
interest in the recent election, as
suming that I could not participate.
However, I heard that seniors were
being allowed to vote, and con
firmed this by obtaining a ballot my
self.
Surely it is reasonable that SG
office-holders and yell leaders
should not be chosen by people who
will be Former Students during the
effective term of office (next semes
ter). Therefore, I suggest to Student
Government that it make future
election results more valid by disen
franchising graduating seniors.
Bill Thompson
Death throes
Editor:
To whom it may concern — just
for the record.
From: Election Commissioner
Subject: Last Will and Tes
timony of a dying elephant
Whereas, I hereby bequeath my
position and self-disrespect to the
second biggest ass in the universe, I
myself holding the first place in that
category. I applied for my position
because no on else had and I felt a
great deal of shame since no one
wished to help their school without
holding a title of prestige and honor.
After taking the Work Horse puppet
position I have found that Honest
Abe really had something going
when he said “You can please part of
the people part of the time, some of
the people some of the time, but not
ALL the people ALL the time.
I do NOT like my job. I am NOT
on a Witch hunt. I feel I am doing
my JOB. If you do not like the way I
do it and complain then like com
plaints about the weather I urge you
to do something about it. Take over
my glorious office. Of course I
would be amazed to see this since no
once was interested when the office
was vacant.
I gave a damn when no one else
did, so do not damn me now.
Susan Warren
Greeks speak
Editor:
Now and then, people pre-judge
matters without taking both sides of
a situation into consideration. This
appears to be the case in the appal
ling, slanted letter to the editor. (A
Greek A&M?, March 19).
We are active members 1 of the
oldest social fraternity associated
with A&M. Sigma Phi Epsilon was
formally initiated in March 1973.
Before that it was Phi Delta Sigma.
It was began as a social fraternity
way back in 1965. If fraternities
aren’t A&M, please explain our or
ganization’s 250-plus membership
and ten years success. We invite all
comments and/or questions.
Jon Vander Wilt
Jack Lopez
HBBof/fdria/ 111
The voters’ choices
Dunn not ‘flashy’
but has good record
The perennial candidate for student body president, Doc
Shroff, is out of the running again. And the students may now
choose Jeff Dunn or Tom Walker as their official spokesman
and representative.
A student body president should have two minimum
qualities: the ability to get things done and the ability to
generate new ideas. Tom Walker, 74-75 student government
executive director has proven he can get things done. He
organized the Book Mart and he is completing a project which
would provide a pool of student volunteer workers for local
civic service. But Walker’s direction has been largely gov
erned by the executive committee. His job is to administer
ongoing projects initiated by Student Government.
Jeff Dunn has proven himself not only as a man of action
but also as a man who initiates action from his ideas. For
several years, student government has been talking about
published professor evaluations and published professor as
signments. This year, TAMU saw the first of these publica
tions through the efforts of Dunn as vice president for
academic affairs. Dunn is now asking for choice of professors
and two university committees have begun studies on the
necessary procedural changes. He was not so fortunate at the
state Democratic convention earlier in the school year where
he tried to pass a resolution favoring student control of services
fees. But he tried. And if track records are indications of future
performances, the student body can trust Dunn to work hard
and initiate directions for action rather than use student
apathy as an excuse for inaction.
Dunn does not come off as the flashy friendly candidate.
But his non-aggressive appearance is misleading if one equates
that appearance with a lack of desire or inaction.
AGGIE GINEMA PRESENTS
“ONE OF THE YEAR’S 10 BEST!’
“A BRILLIANT FEAT OF MOVIE-MAKING:’
-TIME MAGAZINE
T®* “one OF THE YEAR'S 10 BEST:’
“It flawlessly expresses
mema
the belief that manhood
requires rites of
violence.
Cbe Battalion
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