New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-04
POIICE COTRT EEEOHN.

IOIlt l. fOt M TETOHM
The bill to establish a new police justice syS
TEN in this city. which Mr.. Sheffield introduced
| in the Assembly Oh Friday. has This distinctive
| merit that il recognizes the utter badness OF
| the existing system. and proposes not Ia re-
habilitate but to replace it, The bill has the
| approval of numerous citizens of New York
| who are studying municipal interests ana I'M
Seltishly cndcavoring 10 promote them, but II
has not gone 10 Albany with the Endorsement
| of the City Club or any other conspicuous Re
| form organizations Whether or not Mr. Sheffield
| himself is satisfied with all lis provisions we do
not know. or what The disposition of other i'll
| tlucntial members of the Legislature may be.
| But we are glad that the measure has been
| presented. for it has substantial merits. and
| may become the basis for thoroughly sound
and efficient system Of police court admnstra-
! ton. The subject is one of great and pressing
! importance. for the abuses which the slightest
knowledge of present conditions discloScS are
rank. 1t is dis -rcdit to The city and the State
that they have endured 50 long and the task
of Graduating them ought To be welcome as
il is necessary.
Nothing is more essential t. the peace and
security of Il great city than thai tile criminal
class should know that the primary judicial
conducted 1t is chiefly in the police courts
that members Of that class first conceive either
respect or contempt for the law. For many
years this point of earliest contact between of
Tenders and what We call Justice has been
treated as if il We're Il matter of The slightest
consequence what impression WAS then made
upon them They have been Systematically
taught TO believe that not innocence but Il
.t,,ll'' fI,ir
have seen on the police court bench and in pos
session Of the wires which obviously connect
with il some of the yilcSi men in the city. In
numberless instances they have proved Ia their
satisfaction that Justice is the last thing Thought
Of in those tribunals and political Influence the
first And they leave court either with Il cheer
full expectation Of future immunity or Il bitter
sense Of the inequality of the laws. These
statements are true as Il general Indictment Of
police Justice administration. We bear in mind
the exceptions TO the rule and honor them. but
they only make the system under which as i'll
dlviduals they succeed in serving the community
conspicuous for It's denominations
We sympathizc fully with the advocates Of
the Sheffield bill in their purpose 10 abolish
this system utterly. There is 10 probability Of
making the police courts what they ought 10 be
by changes which will leave any Of their pres
ent features recognizable. Bul there are some
provisions of the proposed system which We are
not prepared to commend. And first of all,
since il lies at the very root of the reform
which we want to see accomplished. We cannot
agree that the salary which the bill provides il
large enough to attract men of the right type
to the police court bench. The requirement that
the Justice shall have practiscd AT the bar five
years is designed To guarantee experience sober
judgment and established character Those Ger
tainly are the qualifications which the interests
Of the community demand but We do not be
licvc that they can be uniformly or even fire.
qucntly secured for 5000 year. in the person
of justice who is obliged 10 devote all his
time and energy 10 the public service by sitting
in court not less than nine hours Il day during
eleven months Of the year We apprchcnd that
this combination Of long hours ana extremely
moderate pay would defeat the essential pur-
pose Of the reform. \ lawyer who comes up TO
the standard set IN this bill generally earns
more than the salary which it provides. For the
services of the justices whom the present sys-
ten maintains the city pays an cXOrbitant price.
BY far fhc larger part of their time is ut their
own disposal and is badly employed Their
term Of office is altogether too long. and in
every way low conception Of their duty 10 the
people Is fostcrcd by the conditions which sur
round them But it is equally desirable TO avoid
the other extreme.
We specify this objection 10 the bill at the
beginning Of the discussion. for the reason that
il seems TO us TO DC Fundamental. There are
other provisions which ought not 10 be adopted
without careful consideration Of the defects
which they might develop in operation. The
proposed multiplication Of courts 10 thirty
three is at least questionable feature of the
scheme. as well as the constant and intimate
association Of justice and police officer. As to
these and other parts Of the bill Judgment
ought to be reserved until after full discussion
but We heartily commend the spirit and ten
dcncy Of this disinicrestcd movement for the
abolition of Il corrupt and dcmorazing system