The morning call., 1893-05-24
1T MUDDLES THEM.
The Bail Law Does Not
Work Smoothly.
Tribulations of the Auditor and Police
Court Clerks in Carrying it
Into Operation.

On Monday last Auditor Broderick set
into operation the law passed by the last
Legislature requiring Police Court clerks
to give receipts for all bail moneys and
fines collected ana make daily report of
the same to the County Treasurer and
Aud tor.
The Auditor caused to be printed the
necessary books of various kinds of re-
ceipts and had them given to the various
Police Court clerks. 1t was the Auditors
Intention to put the new la W into operation
at the beginning of the next fiscal year.
passed a resolution requesting him to have
the necessary receipt books printed i'm
mediately, which he did.
The law has only been in operation two
days aud the indications are that the
wheels have struck several snags.
Clerk Stevens reported to the Auditor
yesterday that he had offered receipts TO
Prouerty Clerk Cullen ana the latter had
refused To receive them.
Under the law no one but Police Court
clerk can give an official receipt for bail
money. Consequently when a man is ar
rested at night at the Seventeen th-street
station and wants to get out on bail he
must give the bail money to the sergeant
in charge. The sergeant having no power
to gives legal receipt takes the money and
turns it over to the property clerk in the
morning.
This money the property clerk in turn
turns over to the clerk of the court. Clerk
Stevens offered Cullen receipts for the bail
money lie turned over yesterday, but Gull
len refused 10 take the receipts, saying he
would not be responsible for their delivery
10 the proper parties who had given bail.
Stevens asked the Auditor what he
should do with the money. and the Aud
itOr advised him to turn IL over into the
treasury and hold the receipts until they
could be delivered to the proper parties.
Again or Monday Judge Campbell had
occasion to sentence a little boy who had
been guilty of minor uffense. The boy
had put ur So bail. Instead of letting the
boy eff. Judge Campbell fined him the
sum of 81. Now tie question arose. how
could the clerk give receipt for 81 when
sucn a sum was nat in the classified re-
ceipt- books. the lowest being for So. In
the boys case 1t was necessary to go to
the Auditor and get Il special receipt for
the So.
The Police Court clerks have started in
to put the law into operation IN the best
manner they know how, but ii imposes
considerable more work on them, such rs
making daily trips to the new City Hall
with fine and bail money and compiling
weekly reports for the Auditor aud
1ItdsuIfI.
John Washington. clerk of Police Court
., refused to accept the Auditors receipt
books. a he expects al any minute TO be
supplanted by James MahOney, who was
recently removed without cause.
Judge Campbell fined a man yesterday
$50 for having lottery tickets in his pos
session. The man had put up $50 bail.
The Judge told Clerk Stevens to take the
fne out of the bail money. Stevens pro-
tested and the Judge testify remark ed:
1--WE can't delay business through the
doings OF crazy people at Sacramento"
Attorney Ruef appeared for an Italian
charged with battery. The charge was
dismissed and as the man had put up $40
bail money the attorney asked: "Who
has the bail money?"
Il don't know" said Judge Campbell.
well, Pli apply for mandamus." said
the attorney.
"All right" was the judges reply. "lf
you can't get the money out of Clerk Ste
vens 20 TO the CtizenS' Defense Associa-
ton"
These are given as illustrations of VIII at
is hourly taking place in the Police courts.
The co nsensus of opinion seems to be
that the system operates abSurdly and the
sooner il is done away tn the better,