April 1888: Chapter 94 of the enacted laws amended the Criminal Procedure Act to provide that counsel assigned by a court to defend a person accused of homicide would be paid a reasonable compensation to be fixed by the presiding judge. "There was a time, not very long ago, when a person accused of felony was not allowed to have any counsel," the Law Journal editors observed. "Now, if he is poor, the state not only furnishes him a counsel, but also in case of homicide pays the counsel fees."
100 Years Ago
April 1913: The state Supreme Court overturned the attempted establishment of "small" boards of chosen freeholders in Bergen, Mercer, Morris and Union counties under the Strong Act of 1902, finding a 1908 amendment excepted second-class counties. The Legislature responded by passing a law making small boards mandatory in those four counties but still excepting others based on population. The Law Journal editors said the same rule should apply in counties of all sizes, noting, "the fewer officials who are elected to take control of public matters, the better."
