, 1877-02-06
CHANGES OF VENUE.
How the Present Law Works, and
What II Costs the CITY.
A salutary Amendment Has Been Pre-
pared and Sent to Springfield.
The City Now Paying Two Sets Of PEG.
pie for Doing tie Enme Work.

tehtIon Of the public has frequently called |
gFfeTances arising from the fnsuf1lc,ency Of III
laws regulating the Jurisdiction and duties q
justices OF the Peace, and growing out Of tn
manner In which some Of these individuals aI
minister the law,-not for the suppression 0
crime or the criminal classes, but Tor tic en-
'arRemcnt OF their hank accounts. rhe polio
authorities complain, and not xfsl,out reason
That In spite Of all their efforts to stump on
vaKrancy and crime, both arc on the lncrcasc
becauso OF quael-protection and in some In
stances !ull Immunity accorded we1lknown ami
suspected individuals without visib1e means o
support.
CllscaRo rctoiecs In the possession Of fifteen
'usuee' oi the Peace, appointed BY tho Gov
crnor Of the State for q term Of four ycars
upon the recommendation OF a minority Of t1,e
JudEes In The ccounty. 111ree OF these Justlces-
one lor each davisson Of the cty--arc elected by
the Council to preside ut the Police Courts, and
ore known ~
| POLICE IusTfCEs.
| iheY are paid mn annual salary, having entered
/ INTO stipulation with tho CITY Comptroller not
10 aemand the fees that would otherwise artse.
4ho other twelve Justices arc entitled to the
Ices and penufsites OF their Office Us cstabllsbc,l
and defined by law.
Under the statute, a pcraun charged with the
commission Of any crime or nisdcmoanor can,
on being brought before T. Justice, demand and
10 accorded change Of venue to the nearest
Justice, on his making an affidavit TINT to the
best OF ILLS belief the Court IL prcludce4 against
him. The frequency with which this has been
done In the cases OF persons brought before tic
eonth and West Division Police Courts has
challenged attention. and tho reasons therefor
tainci fSat - H. tSaaaa. ~ naS heen nsecF-
fuiiy aiivn "a n' t,,a ~ tnesc Coots we're
,,tmnst pnuns os vigorously enforcing to the
whirh IN. ;nfrn.tor . ~ nn pehait!es ~ 70
namhi ~. ,ns ,n, o. !he law were iiahic The
i've by thetr viz fo,,rd ta, safFants who
II r1rsr.,inars v95, nhmnx!5, anu tao dispensers Of
S',ns Ssaeesolneiy y. y. o'noxtons
thoss IN ~ sune+ uu ohtsuc snstieet particularly
f"ce uourt. INV m nn1sIa,1 pso1hY =, 70 the
arcnrSir,,1r posscsaons' ana began to act
w1, ~ .han ,!a! vtAnLh !;nI CoNeIAhLEs.
rr akinr rto,a IN o Il Iat T. ~o'a ,9 DC
irono e4uss !, sso,I5 1na' whenever they got into
tatc ,.,,,n,, :, mo.u W ,.o M avssaolo lor ttlcn to
E@hC eausuEc VI venue. a. things could be then
Consabcs ane aro,ini ibes ss,i H,o putd9oe 9s
ssisc. ,,sefni n ~ tsvtrT ,,as max the:n'
viii IL nny eans, rentict vnrifcI pqfr r. !1rses WHO
viii tho instrret3ons of ther % enpioycT. 10 a'oane'
. Ihe sellcnia thus Planned was put into prac-
tlen! and inltnetllzte execution. Gambling
hot'tes were pulled night utter night. mud lie
morning they Invariably applied for. a
cllange Of venue. which was granted ia
compliance with tho statute. SONG
s,,Ies Ut, ahr,y wrrc fined small amount,
liar results followed In tic cascs Of ncrsnn,
arrested under the tngrancy net Tllts Ia not
all. These Justices 10 whGIn tho cases were
tcnt on tho cl.ungc OF venus charged up thrir
iees a.atnat the ,cdty, md thus tEc taxpayers
hare the spectarlc Of the municipality being
Obliged to twice pay for what. untiCr 4 bcttef
framed law, II would only hare to do ouuc. Tie
thieves, ouFRlars, contl1cncc-tncn, gamblers,
Sasrnnts, ct ID gcnus omnc thus obtain q u,,ust.
prutcctton, and the city Il Obliged TO SUPPORT
two sets OF Justiceo, when the charter and com.
mon sense only contemplate one.
ten OF defeating tue ends Of justfrr.
Az AMENDMENT TO THE SECTION KELA71su 70
cHAsozs or VENUE
has been drafted, and Is now In Springfield in !
CHARGE Of one Of the Cook County delegation,