The sun., 1895-01-13
NEW POLICE JUSTICE BILL.
IT WOULD TURN our THE PRESENT
JUSTICES ON hPRIL so.


Mise City Magistrates and Five Special ses-
sious Justiees 60 5uceees by the Mayors
Appoistment Qualifications, Ter-s,
and Powers - Changes II Procedure.
The Committee of Seventy's bill for the re-
organiz ization Of the Police Court system of the
city WAS approved and made public yesterday AZ
a meeting OF the full committee. and resolutions
were passed asking the Legislature to enact IL
promptly.
The chief features OF the measure have been
published In THE SUN; that is. the reduction Of
the number Of police magistrates from fifteen to
nine, the creation OF a Court OF Special Sessions
to be presided over by Justices especially ap-
pointed for that purpose: the requirement that
all appointees be lawyers Of ten years standing
and the reduction OF salaries. Here are some of
tho details;
The Office OF Police Justice shall be abolished
at midnight on April 80 next, all the clerks and
attendants to go out Of Office simultaneously.
There shall be nine city magistrates at 81, 900
year NOW SO. .000), whom the Mayor shall arn
point on or before April 20. Their terms shall
begin May !. Three shall serve four years,
three seven years, and three ten years: their
successors to be appointed by the Mayor for ten
years each. Tho magistrates shall have the
general powers Police Justices have now ex-
cept in bastardy cases. They shall organize a
Board OF City Magistrates, which may appoint
six clerks at g., 500 NOW $4,000 for four-year
terms. one to act as Secretary of the Board, Mt q
reasonable compensation: and they may ap-
point by open ballot sufficient assistant clerks.
stenographers. and attendants for two years,
and fix or alter their salaries at pleasures except
that the Board of Estimate may at any time re-
duce said salaries, save In the case of clerks.
These subordinates must have no other busi-
ness and must he residents OF the city. The
4.
in detail In books to he provided for the
purpose and "shall make proper provision
by rule in regard to the publicity of any
portion OF such records" as under section 1852
OF the Consolidation act. The magistrates must
sit from o'clock A. NJ. to =. NJ. except on
Sundays and holidays, when the session may be
shortened. No case brought before one mags-
trate shall be sent before another except for
adequate cause to be entered in the record
books, and no remand. Adjournment or dis
charge shall be made except for such cause 80
to be stated on the record.
On or before April 20 the Mayor shall appoint
five Justices of tho Court OF Special Sessions TO
serve Q, 4, 9, g, and 10 years respectively from
May 1 F.: successors to be appointed by the Mayor
for ten years; salary, $4,000 a year. Three of
the Justices at one time must sit in Special Ses-
sions, which court shall sit every month in tho
year; shall have in the first instance exclusive
jurisdiction Of misdemeanors. except libel;
and except where before trial has begun in
the said ,,;. court an indictment is found
aJudge of the General Sessions orders the case
before the Gra Jury; 1t shall have exclusive
ceedings; and sha Il exercise all the powers Of the
present Court of Special Sessions not inconsist-
ent with this act. All trials shall be without q
jury. but the procedure of the Court OF General
Sessions shall be followed as far may be. The
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interpreter and such attendants as may be
necessary. The clerk is to , have $4,000
Clerk las ike term. ' The other subordinatess H dis
have no fixed terms and the Justice may deter
clerk at any amount and change them when
they please. or the Board of Estimate may re-
duce these salaries at will.
The present Clerk Of the Court OF Special Ses-
sions gets So, 900 year and his deputy $4,000
Appeals from the police courts shall lie no
longer to the General Sessions, but shall be
made to the Special Sessions. From the Special
Sessions the appellant may go to the Supreme
except when the custody of a child is in ques-
ton. That may go to the Court of Appeals. The
District Attorney or an assistant is required TO
attend the daily sessions of the Court Of Special
City magistrates and Justices Of Special ses-
sions must live In the city; must be lawyers ad-
mitted to practice at least ten years before their
appointment; must receive no fees or per;
quisites of office; muSt hold no other Office and
carry on no business or law practice They
and their clerks may be removed for cause after
nearing Dy tne supreme court Goneral Term OF
this department. or, after Jan. l, 1896. by tho
appellate division of the Supreme Court in this
department.
There are at present fifteen police court clerks
assistants. five stenographers. as many inter-
prefers, and one attendant The new bill per-
mits the city magistrates to appoint as many or
as few as they please.
Lewis L. Defafcld stated that tho bill had
been prepared by committee composed Of Jo-
seph Larocque. William B. Hornblower. Charles
c. Beaman. Albert Stickney, and himself, with
the advice and assistance OF Collector Kilbreth
and William 'IrayerS Jerome. and that IL had
been submitted to and been approved by an
Advisory Committee composed of Joseph II.
NJ, Scott Henry X. Beekman, and Cornelius N.
Bliss.