National Republican., 1875-09-07
POLICE COURT.
Assistant Attorney VIM. Birnsy on Straw

Assistant Attorney VIM. Birney on Straw
Tail.
The assistant attorney Tor the District has sd
dressed the flowing letter to the DistriJt Com
missioners:
OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT; T. ;ATToRSET GdG ESE
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON, August Is, $50.
GENTLEMEN: part of the duty assigned to
NE Is the collection of the Jutgnen OBTAINED oy
me in the Criminal Court on the cases appealed
from the Police Court, In which the District Is
plafntih. In some cases have been sole TO COL
lect the amounts, but regret to say tnat IN many
Of the cases. after the most dilgent search for
property, hare found the Judgment DEBTOR goo1
for nothing. attach hereto list OF thirty eases
OF the above class, in each Of which 1 believe
both principal and surety are wholly 1rresponsE
bic. As there is no process against the person
after bail has been given on appeal, al tne @ Oh
punished, after having caused expense 70 the
District. The District loses the aggregate Of the
fines, and ], as attorney, lose the DOCKET lee al
The cause of the evil complained OF lies wholly
beyond my control; IT is the taking OF straw jail jail
by the clerk and deputy clerk OF the folce
Court. Neither nor my assistant have anything
to do with the taking Of bail. II Is the duty OF
the clerks, Mr.. Dawson and MS 9epusy, nj.
blity of the surety, assure themselves OF ms
identity, make memoranda on the Dall DOno OF
the unencRmbered real estate claimed by him,
mi up the affidavit to property printed in the
blank on the bail bond, and require the surety TO
produce q certificate OF his taxable property
They should indorse upon the bond the address OF
the principal and surety, and require the surety
to sign HIS full name to the bond.
If these obviously prudent precautions were
taken, every judgment recovered on the appeal
could be collected. But the clerk and deputy
clerk of the Police Court appear to have no sys-
tematical method Of taking bond; the printed
blank for affidavit to property Is frequently not
filled up, certificate to property from the super
intendent of assessments is often not required.
Sureties often permitted to sign initials Only
of their Christian names. The name is often not
signed at all by the party, and IL written by the
clerk is sometimes misspelled. There is no men,
orandum OF the real estate of the surety indorsed
on the bond; and, in short, the whole business is
wretchedly managed.
have brought the carelessness in business in
the clerks office of the Police Court repeatedly
to the attention of the clerks: 1t has been COM
p1ented on from the bench repeatedly in the
severest terms by Judge Macarthur, but the cul-
pable Indifference and apathy and carelessness
continue, and rather grow worse. As the loss to
the District from this cause is large, and my own
personal loss in the cases appended is not much
less $3.50, have concluded to bring the matter to
your attention. in hopes that you Will, in the In
terest Of the District, bring this matter officially
to the notice of Judge SMELL The judge Of the
court has the power of appointment and removal
of the clerk and deputy. 1t might be we'll to begin
suit az ainst the clerk and his surety for the
amount of fines and costs by his csrelessness.
Very respectfully, &c,
WILLIAM BIREEY,
Assistant Attorney.