Evening star., 1901-08-03
The Establishment of Magistrates
Courts at Police Stations.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Plan Believed to Be Feasible and
Its Necessity Urged.
MAJOR SYLVESTER'S VIEWS

Inc prospective appointment OF ten sdI-
aried justices of the peace the 1st of jan
uary next, under the operation of the new
code of laws complied for the District Of
Columbia, has again brought up discus
sion of the subject Of magistrates courts at
police stations for the trial Of minor cases
Major Richard Sylvester. the superintend-
ent of police, has strongly urged In the
past the adoption Of such a system, and
has pointed out It's advantages in his an
nual reports. It is reported that he will
renew the suggestion this year with vigor,
In view Of the forthcoming appointments
Of justices Of the peace, and will urge the
Commissioners to secure such a change In
the method Of Police Court trials.
Major Sylvester's suggestion is to set apart
room in each station house as a court
room A witness room would be admirably
adapted for the purpose 1t Is stated. Twice
each day a magistrate would be required
to visit the police stations and try the
minor cases which have been made in that
precinct. The only cases which would
then come under the jurisdiction of the
regularly constituted Police Court would
be the appeal cases and cases wherein a
jury trial was demanded. The advantages
Of this system. 1t Is stated. are many and
the effects would be far-reaching. The
system has been adopted In many Of the
large cities and has been found to work
necessity in large city. where arrests
are numerous.
Police Chiefs Recommendations.
Major sylvesters recommendation on
the subject. in his report, Is as follows:
THE detention of prisoners In the several
station houses from Saturday night until
Monday morning, some of whom may be
subjects for acquittal; the transport alton
of prisoners from the stations to the court
In crowded vans, and the detention of po-
lice officers at court from early morning
until late In the day, at a time when they
should be procuring needed rest or pro-
tecting uncovered beats, furnishes abun-
dant reason for the establishment of magis-
trateS' courts at the police station houses
for the trial Of minor cases 1t is not de-
sirable that the present Police Court should
be abolished in the event of the esta blish-
ment of the magistrate system, but 1t
should be retained as a court of appeal for
the trial of cases by jury.
While the police force has grown, the
population of the District increased, and
its many diversified interests changed,
necessitating new and numerous police,
additional laws, which have doubled the
number of arrests, nothing has been ef-
fected to facilitate disposition of Police
Court cases. The capital city is behind the
ample for others. With magistrates sitting
twice day at each station house. there
would be a prompt disposition OF cases. un-
just humiliation would often be avoided,
Justice would have the advantage of wit
nesses with the facts fresh In their minds,
and the police would be enabled to render
an almost uninterrupted patrol service"
Plan Believed to BE Practicable.
The plan Of magistrate courts will be
entirely feasible and quite easy Of opera
ton. It is asserted. when the new justices
of the peace are appointed. When the new
tenth precinct station house is placed in
commission this month there will be just
ten stations in the District Under the
new code OF laws there are to be ten JUS
tfces of the peace, each drawing salary
of So. 600 year. One Justice, 1t is said,
could be assigned to a precinct.
AS Major Sylvester suggests, 1t is man
ifestly unfair to keep prisoners in a station
house 80 long, when they may be subjects
for acquittal, and 1t is also hard on the Of
f1cers to be forced to attend Police Court
for three or four hours out Of the six hours
allowed them in which to rest and recup-
crate for their next tour of duty. 1t Ia
pointed out that there are too many cases
to be tried in the Police Court each day
to secure anything like the promptness and
dispatch of business which would result
through the trials at the police stations.
The Police Court judges In their esti-
mates to the Commissioners, a few days
ago, called attention to the inadequacy of
the present Police Court buildings for
properly handling the large number Of
prisoners, and the business of the courts.