New-York tribune., 1881-12-27
POLICE COURT METHODS.


Court clerks is rather rough" said lawyer lannu"t
with the conduct of business in the lower courts Du
it is not unjust the structures too severe in'S
are parasites i'm every OF the word, od OF NV
They are not only useless hangerFon who do not IIi
tate but actually retard the work OF Their Own coi'
and multiply that OF other olices."
"In what wayl" asked the reporter thus aDruP'iy anu
somewhat emphatically addressed.
'You would have 10 become familiar by long pracuce
in these courts TO understand fully; but can Co'.'
my meaning by few Illustrations. But before uehni
let me say that the remedy change IN the ia" "io
should require these clerks TO be stenograplefs an" o
pei them 10 take full notes Of every case As ha'''
now stand either one the other party to an acuoi
deemed Of sufficient importance must call IN steUoB-
raphcr at his own expense. Police Justices know very
little law and defendant in an action oi seilouS ~"
il very foolish 90 without correct re0o "
their rulings. Many defendants cannot ahotu l" P"S
stcnographcr II the prosecution calls In stenogPh
the people must pay his bill while the saaed clerk oas
In Of stcnogragher the clerk mas 10 ''o
down the testimony in long hand thereby wasting mu'h
Of the time of the court Naturally enough the c''I"
seeks to avoid this labor and consequently cuts ,N'
examination short whenever he can. Inc J"'I'o
sylnpathzes with him in This for though he has Il" PnS5
ca labor the Justice diskcs the annoyance ol S'o"
and tedious inquiries And thereby much of tine Work Oh
the Police Courts il thrown upon the Grand jury, the
DstrctAttoncy and the City Judges and Recorder 10
be done over again"
"Iconicss do not fully understand
"You know there are several thousand untned IN
dicmcnts aud pigcou-holcd complaints In the Dislr't
Attorneys Office II is NOT the fault Of the DstricAtt"r
ney that these indictments are not tried ana that te
complaints are uuhcard by the Grand Jury II IL
the fault chiefly Of the Police Justices ana ih'T
clcrks-thcse wr,-puers who get their pay Tor p'Ht
III politics by pretending To act ns clerks The cro"ueu
condition calendars OF the criminal courts "Aleh
try indictments as well that o the Office az the DIS
il
,slftion in tie Police Courts. IL IL uiiicuit to siJ
whether the Justices and clerks most eVado or 10 ho'
know then ull duties and powers; 100 any rate IL n "'
tain that from or bOtn oI these reasons many nun
drcds cOupiguts which ought To nave ucch dl'po'H
ol by them annually, reach the DatrctAttor'y Once
and are there suppressed for many good ana sufficient
reasons
"What reasons, for instance!'
"Thcy drc numerous to be tried BY the present
machinery thc courts, although there are tuI'' "i
them constantly in session, besides Special Sessions
CONT for the ui o minor oncucc- whore the accused
ucrsons consent 10 be tried large number are
malicious complaints, made ia many instances by p"-
ljc.u and un-Ipp orj,d by other testimony, which '
Wrong, thiuk. Many charges are made u tstiiati"u
10y personal enemies. aud don't deserve consideration
for tadj reason Hui t1c greater number are uhl'h'
because ilr accused person, iu wuNu- examination "i
us olse is allowed also, 10y ignorant J-uc'- I" waive
at oi the prosecution. ad t"' papers reach thc br
trict Attorney without tue evidence being indicated iu
au definite uui pro. tr WY. lu hundreds of c.- cent
10 the D.trct-Atto.ucg ti. Justice ha- simply iu-"D"
the name ae and residence of th. prisoner the nltnr"
nf tnc crime charged aud the Nance ot thr Wtu'o7 Tor
the people. wlj.ou. single statement OF facts ol'0H
out by the rAaiG.uatIon oi tur complainant
" How h4- tIit abuse crown uI "
'"Cm,Hy because tlurrtut justices "ni azy clerks
y,adI, accept ;Ac on r of tIr accused person c waive
tNamua ion. and ttu, avoid The work which 'u inquiry
Into thc l.ct- entail
'I- it not optional with criminal 10 waive Police
Cour. examination yuI so straight @" l' Grand jury d.
No sir; hr NOT only u'- uo reh' to prevent tine com
tl.uaut aud toe pr1pr- ai.uc.srs from trny.rg bur
ma hs o ri ht to ayuI tle most searching examination
OF himself Hut many Ju--D,s permit I...uu,T- a.iu
y 10 Baisc uojn sides ol ca.r, when sine ia" ab-o-
lucIy require that they sb1U maar 900 examination.
cl-c occurred short timc as" loo my practice loo which
prisoner wl.u .fIairn.d, 90 900 ,'.sumclI ut $50
day. 10 await tuc return oi hi- lawyer from bridal
tnp T4c Justice asked Not Go cIu.Ii. ,p waiver
o Examination uI4tiI t complaint was heard. Iut tLc
u,lt L4y, n ogT absence tuy ou'.'c took ual a"d De-,
.ca.cd th, PRISONER Wi,hou asking ujm -iu-r question
or hearing 20 single witness. ON h.u. fr..aa-Jrafct
with the Justice acuahy declared De- had 30 aicrna
tive"
"a very general idea prevails that such be- tae law
"Inc ua Oirc ,. chap. - part &. OF thc Revised
>tqnc-l specifically -a}. ncc - bat the magistrate
sLoU"-uot that hr may" proceed to examine thr COM
plluaut aUd irr Htu.-,r' Tor ttc p.Usrrut uu; and
lscc 10 "aH then proceed io c:alDur th' p,.-oncr'
hu not Oh oath. and then only after telling thr prisoner
"that be- g., 90 b,g,. to refuse answer g. Dy qIr-tou
that may be- put 20 him "tcc 15f There o. section
en- which says that thc tratr i not 10 o, required
~ INTO -Uo examination 81 the prisoner TINT mr1nf
simply that ho can lIHor ta' defence ana -'"H .t'
prisoner tbc Grand iJI} wt.ou' HDl 'flue any De-.
p.Itn evidence, H' .ar Police justices c"rt iiNv i'
-t their own convenience, aud seldom make other b.u
the necessary uQufIt- HHur, a. f, uallNiiy HnI
,5e f tlc Inr da not .ily lrnw CIR own pow
OIL. Nt fI b .H % % 10 .I H A