The Topeka state journal., 1899-11-21
NEED OF REFORM.
Time to Adopt New Methods In
Police Court.
No Regular Plan of Procedure
Is Followed.
is GROWING WORSE.
Everybody Seems to Be Indif-
ferent.
Judge Expected to Convict In
Spite of Evidence.
s GROWING WORSE.

"a change is needed in the manner Of
conducting police court and that change
is likely to be brought about by Police
Judge Magaw.
For years the police court has been
run in a very slipshod manner. It has
been a sort of catchaS catch can affair
andin many cases the judge has had to let
law go to the four winds and get down
to the common school teacher" mode
of finding out the merits of the case
and pass judgment accordingly. There
has been no system. Cases are called
and some times the defendant is there
and some times he is not. Many times
the witnesses are not on hand. Nobody
knows whether they have been sum
moned or not. The complaints and war
rants are wanted in the case and no
body knows where the complaint is ami
some officer a mile or two away is car
rying the warrant in his pocket.
I do not wish to criticise anyone in
particular" said Judge Magaw, for I
think that the present officers have had
the court and court business turned
over to them in a poor condition and 1t
is hard to make changes. I think the
manner of trying cases should be
changed. In the contested cases the
evidence should be worked up before
hand. The witnesses should all be
there before the case is commenced.
The attorneys should know that they
are there. Everything should be con-
Quoted as nearly as possible like any
other court. Order should be preserved
in the court room and there should be
some system the same as in any other
court room. The proceedings are of
summary nature but there is no use of
calling case unless there is some evi-
dence. This does not apply to liquor
cases alone but to all. do not wish to
censure anyone but a decided change
is needed
When a complaint is made to the Of
ficers no record is kept of the case. The
complaints are not carefully filed. No
body keeps any close track of the war
rants. Chief Ramsey has several times
determined to have police court con-
Quoted in a. better manner. With the
assistance of Judge MagaW he will be
able to do so.
For several months City Attorney
Bird has delegated all the court busi-
ness to Assistant Attorney Gregg. In
many cases Mr.. Birds presence would
aid materially in the conviction of the
men charged with selling liquor, for he
is an experienced attorney while his as
sistant is a novice. The cases should
be property worked up. At present a
great many persons are convicted in
police court on general principles and
the cases are appealed to the district
court. By the time the cases come up
for trial there are no cases. The very
slim evidence that is presented in pO-
lice court will not convict them before
the higher court and the defendants
are discharged.
1t is noticeable in police court that
in many cases the evidence brought
out is insufficient. All phases of the
case are not brought out. 1t takes a
little lawyer "buIlyragging'' to bring
out some things.
The police court is a court for con-
VictiOn and there have been times in
the history of Topeka when police Off
GERS would resort to doubtful means
to secure a conviction. 1t did not mat
ter if the defendant was guiItless. He
was there to be convicted.
Some of the "dOings" in this social
ed court are of such a nature that it is
a wonder that the spirit of Blackstone
does not return to haunt the men who
participate in its "sittings."