.... Under the Code of Mosiah the Judges received wages according to the time which they labored to judge those who were brought before them. Their wages were fixed by law. The judges were paid a Senine of gold for a day's work, or its equivalent, a Senum of silver. As the Nephites had changed the names and values of their coins from the old Hebrew standards, we have no direct way of telling from the record how liberally these court officers were renumerated.
Lawyers, also, were hired and appointed by the people to watch their interests at the time of their trials. It is presumable that the lawyers so hired acted somewhat as do prosecuting attorneys. If trial by jury was in vogue among the Nephites, we are not able to find any reference to that procedure. Indeed the evidence is altogether in favor of the idea that the judge alone decided as to the guilt or innocence of the accused, and, if adjudged guilty, the guilty one was thereupon sentenced. The corruption of some of these lawyers and judges early became a foundation laid for the destruction of the government.