Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-06-11
The Police Court Bill.
WINS OF THE MAGISTRATES.


At meeting of the Metropolitan POKce
Magistrates, held at the Sixth precinct, on April
Sth, 1870, the following paper was prepared and
signed, expressive of the views of the magis-
trates on the 'bill to establish Police Court in
the District of Columbia and for other pur-
poses, now pending III the Senate:
While we are convinced of the necessity of an
intermediate court for the trial OF offences of
which Police Ma agistrates have not final iuris-
diction, and which though ranking below felony
have now to he sent 10 the Criminal Court.
which is already overbnrdened with business:
still, We believe that the proposed bill contains
provisions which would, while removing some
OF the evils Of the present system, be productive
of greater ones in other directions. Among
these may be mentioned the following: Giving
10 said court ''original and exclusive jurisdic-
ton" OF all otfences;-U. S., Corporations OF
Washington, Georgetown and Levy Court
when many OF these are now and may still be-
disposed Of by Justices of the Peace and Police
Magistrates-would involve serious additional
cost, and great Inconvenience to the prosecuting
party, especially in remote parts of the cities
and the county. Many well-disposed persons
would submit to wrong, and allow the law to be
violated, rather than take the time and trouble
to attend the Monthly or Central Court; thereby
indirectly encouraging the commission of petty
crimes and violations OF ordinances; while the
payment of fees to witnesses would encourage
eriJ-dispOsed, idle persons to trump ND charges
against parties for the sake of attendance fees
as witnesses, as they would receive the fee whe-
ther there were causes for q case or not
IL Is complalned that the prese Mt system IL ex-
pensive, and the Police Court is offered as a
cheaper mode OF disposing of the cases now in
great part, finally disposed of by the Justices OF
the Peace and Police Magistrates.
The cost OF the proposed court for one wear
would be not less than: judge, 5000: clerk
$1,000; deputies, 50 900; bailfffs, s. ,O00 Wit
ness fees, IN an average Of fifty cases per daE,
two witnesses in each case, S1.25 each, SiG,S.5 5
Total, SG0,S5. Present system has eigh-
Police Magistrates, at 81 200 each per an
mum, $500 paid by Government, and 81.
by Corporation and Levy Court,) 50.
or S5l,N5 less than the proposed court. &c
70 this the expense of subsisting prisone- 8.
until they can have a hearing, and the nece
sary absence OF members of the force from TIE.
beats 70 attend to their cases at court, maj T.
absolutely necessary the appointment OF
additional policemen, whose yearly salaI
would amount TO S2l6, 900, and it becomes e. =
dent that this is not the police court to RENE.
the evils of the present system.
If it is argued that many of the cases corfu
before the magistrates are finally sent 10 F'ssss
Criminal Court, and that the cost of their %
should be charged to the present system. a1 >,
ton is called TO the police reports, which Z
that or every twenty cases coming before ?
magistrates only one goes to he CriminoI Court,
and OF those cases quite per centage would be
sent 70 the same court from the police court, as
they would be above its jurisdiction. -, -
The question as to whether, on the score of
economy, IL would be best, in order to keep
even that one case out0f the Criminal Count
TO take the twenty into a court equally expen-
siye, requires no argument. a JElt3 = ~ =