New-York tribune., 1910-04-23
CORRlGAN SPEAKS OUT
Magistrate Objects to Parts OF
New City Court Bill.

courts OF inferior criminal jurisdiction
In cities OF the first class This commits
sion has now finished its labors at an ex-
pense of many thousand dollars. and mas
submitted it's final report, together with
bill designed to carry its suggestions INTO
effect. AS this is a matter affecting the
welfare OF the entire city I desire 20 cail
your attention TO some of the provisions OF
the bill affecting the court in which l nave
the honor TO preside.
The greater part Of the suggestions OF the
committee deal with the physical surround
ings OF the magistrates courts and the
correctional institutions rather than with
changes In the law or procedure. and these
suggestions are In the main extremely
valua Bile. The commission, however. advo-
Gates some startling innovations The first
OF these IS the establishment Of a separate
night court for women, necessarily and
chiefly for women Of the street: for the
trial Of these offenders in one day court
when arrested I'm the day time and for an
elaborate system OF Identification by finger
prints Such night court is. in the first
place. unnecessary. The ore night court
we have nov, opening at 9 O'Clock and
closing at 3 o'clock in the morning. is
easily able TO handle all the cases. both OF
the adoption of the excellent system Of
summonses for minor offences advocated
by the commission its work will be fur
ther lightened. The idea that we should
have a separate court for prostitutes is
unscientifc. II for them. why not for
burglars. pickpockets and other more
heinous criminals? And Of what value are
the finger prints? IL. as the commission
seems to believe (see report. page 81, the
object to be sought in sentencing a prosti-
tute TO the workhouse is her reformation,
1t follows logically that in cases where
reformation cannot be hoped for-that Is.
In cases OF old and hardened offenders-no
such sentence should be imposed. But II.
on the other hand, the purpose OF arrest
and punishment is primarily. as I take II
10 be. to keep the streets free OF vice, the
record Of the individual Is OF little moment
for in order 70 deter others IL is essential
TO punish those caught.
Prison rs Deterrent.
That others are deferred by the imposi-
ton of a prison sentence the commission
itself admits on page 81 Of its report in the
following language:
IF a magistrate has the reputation Of
sending these women TO the wOrkhouse
the public streets are much less patrolled
by them than u the magistrate has the
reputation OF fning or discharging-"
I may add that personal observation by
Magistrate Barlow. Mr.. Within. OF the
Committee OF Fourteen. and myself con-
firms this view. To produce this deterrent
effect. however, il Is not necessary that the
extreme sentence allowed by law be i'm
posed upon even old offenders. A penalty
Of from FIVE TO ten days inflicted consist
emily upon all street women too far sunk
in vice 20 be fit subjects for the assistance
Of a probation officer will attain the de-
sired result, and whether or not a subject
Is ft for probation cannot be ascertained
from any records. no matter how complete.
one-half so well as by observation and ex-
animation OF the individual. 1 presume on
account of the finger print idea that the
commission advocates trying all prostitutes
from the Battery 10 Westminster in one
court. though in the bill (Section 70 and in
another part Of the report pages and 81
IL condemns In severe language arraigning
prisoner before any save the nearest sit
ting magistrate. II is impossible 10 fnd
any logical reason for these contradictory
attitudes. either In the nature OF the Of
fence or the Law providing for its punish
by the commission in regard 20 the social
evil which my experience has shown would
prove OF value are those which provide for
medical examination OF convicted prosti-
tutes and the commitment Of those diseased
until cured. and for the abolition OF the
unjust and unscientifc cumulative sentence
law. which provides that the length Of
defendants term shall be automatically
fixed BY the number Of previous convic-
tions within two years. Why the cumula-
tive sentence was not abolished for other
offenders II Is impossible 70 understand. for
the same reasoning which led the commits
sion 70 condemn II in relation 20 prosti-
tutes applies, fortiori. TO other offenders
coming under its provisions. such as pick
pockets, streetcar roRdies and the like.
One Other change is proposed by the
commission which has long been ardently
desired by the practical politicians Of both
parties. and which will 10 my mind. do
more 70 undo the good work recently done
in the police courts than any other one
thing This is the substitution Of civilian
attendants for police in our courts. At
the present time should there be a breath
of suspicion against any officer attached
to court IL is only necessary 10 ask the
Police Commissioner for his removal, and
he is at once transferred to patrol duty.
But were the plan suggested carried out
no attendant could be removed unless
charges against him were made and legally
proved to the satisfaction Of a majority
OF the board. and any one who has had ex-
perience Of criminal matters, Of graft and
the suspicion OF graft knows how we'll
nigh impossible II is 10 get legal proof.
Saving Only Apparent.
At the present time there are less than
one hundred pstrOlmen assigned to the
MAGISTRATES courts in Manhattan and The
Bronx as warrant officers, court attendants
and probation officers. The commission
proposes TO replace these men solely on
the ground Of economy by civilians. saying
that the salary OF a fun fedged patrOlmsn
Is S.4oo year and that civilians can be
obtained for less T believe. in fact. that
when this plan was last proposed and
the Police Court Attendants Association
was formed the salary was fixed az si0o9
or 81 600. so that there would be an sp-
parent saving Of scOo to s4n man This
saving however. Is only apparent. for the
Police Commissioner could. II he wished.
put first year patroImen. who receive only
Zoo a year, IN the courts on the other
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