The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-06-17
MONDAY. JUNE II, 1914.
LEGISLATION THROUGH POLICE COURT

LEGISLATION THROUGH POLICE COURT.
Police Justice Crutchheld has national
reputation a genial Car In his dealings
With negroes and the driftxood of humanity
that flows through his court, he frequently
puts forth species of law that would be
far too strong meat for Justice of the STU
rreme Court, but which has in practice very
remarkably flled the bill. To Justice John
the administration OF the city ordinances. the
application OF the common law to the often
ders who come before him. has been made
into the semblance OF task that, having to
be done. were better done quickly and with
out excess OF trimmings When Richmonds
Police Justice SAYS ten days, the prisoner may
have all the material going to show that
be is an abused under the Fourteenth
Ameudmsut, but he usually takes his medi-
cine because there Ia nothing else TO do.
This practice 10 picturesque. We wonder
whether it has not raised In the court an idea
OF its discretion which threatens TO interfere
with its usefulness
Richmond papers OF yesterday and the day
before carried q Police Court item that. to
say the least. is peculiar Very matter-of~
factly II Is stated that against enc El
more. charged with having left quantity
OF dynamite in a vacant lot, has been post
poned until July 18th. in order that the CITY
Council may have opportunity to reduce
the punishment nov prescribed by ordinance
for the ofense Very properly we take II,
the minimum punishment for such negligence
involving the public safety is fine OF $500.
But the case OF the first man to be indicted
suggests to the Police Justice that the law is
wrong, and forthwith the Court goes out of
the law can be changed.
IL ought to be borne in Justice John
that there are limits which judicial &c
centricty ought TO recognize. court. after
ali, is a court, and judicial, or quss-judicial
ofhcer Ia not remotely concerned with the
legislative function. He finds the laws the
books as the suides to his conduct. subject or
not as the case may be. TO the exercise of
his own ideas to punishment in case of con
siction In this case the law seems to have
provided what the punishment shall he, and
the Police Court seems to have decided that
the Law In wrong. What confidence Justice
Crutchfeld he's that Council viii amend jts
own laws 10 suit his personal opinion do
not know. Perhaps he has talked the mat
ter over with the powers that be. In any
event, the incident is not one to inspire in
creased respect for the administration of jus
tice.
As 10 dynamite and it's careless handling,
ORDINANCES cannot DC too str CT or too severely
enforced Within saserai months several
Richmond children have been MANNED by
dynamite cartridges picked up in public places
or given them by irresponsible persons.
1fn ghutiH Tns eoIintTy series = CO fearful
accidents has demonstrated the necessity of
carefully drawn ordinances TO control the
handling Of a treacherous commodity Such
ordinances will be nothing more than jokes
IT they are not enforced. They WITH be worse
than useless II their violation ia made the
occasion OF special retroactive legislation
looking TO the relief OF those who disregard
them.
True as all this is the really important
thing is that no eourt-Justiee Johns with
its free and easy reputation, anybody else's
should be permitted to eyade it's duty on
the pretext that the law is wrong. The duty
or court Ia to act upon and according TO the
law, not remotely TO declare whether the law
ought or ought not TO be the books. !