The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-01-27
Clog Courts With Trivial Cases
and Brand Respectable Citizens
Criminals. Jeffries Declares
MERIT SYSTEM TO
BLAME, INSISTS JUSTICE
Quotes Statistics to Show That
Third Police Court is
Badly Needed

in an address In the MONDAY meeting
In the Unitarian church. Edmund-pl.
and Woodward-ave., Sunday, declar-
Ing that the police merit system is
causing the officers to make 40 per
cent more arrests than necessary TO
maintain law and order. AS a result,
the justice said, the courts are clogged
with trivial cases, and respectable citi-
Gems are given criminal records.
There are so many laws on the
books that II Is almost impossible for
citizen to move without violating
one of them" said the police justice.
We have TOO many so-ca1led respect
able laws making court cases out OF
1petty violations"
The justice quoted statistics show
Ing that $4,000 cases were tried In
. the police courts last year, and 10000
| defendants appeared before the two
| police justices. Justice Jeffries gave
these figures In support of his argu-
ment that the Increased business OF
| the police courts demanded a third
| justice.
Regarding the criminal class. the
justice declared that the Jaw has been
repressive force In Detroit for some
time He argued that people are born
into certain class in society. and
are compelled to suffer in that class.
Their very surroundings from the
time they leave the cradle are condu-
Give TO crime. he declared. Poverty
and the constant battle for bread and
butter he gave as the foundation for
all crime.
The solution OF the present Grim
inal problem Is not yet ia sight he
said. The present merit system In
the police department Is wrong. Over
Jealous police officers work an injus-
tice upon the public. With so many
laws under which the police officer
can make arrests. the criminal Is rap
idly taking on an aspect OF respecta-
bility In the court.
when first went 10 the police
court, there was considerable brutal
ity displayed by officers in making ar.
rests. The appearance Of the prison
ers III the early morning session was
sufficient evidence for me that the Of
flcers we're too rough in making ar
rests. | tried to put stop TO police
brutality and | think that | have sue
ceeded. My treatment OF officers In
police court has been criticised by
some and lauded by others"
The ustice cited case TO illustrate
why the ends OF justice are not al
ways served by the punishment of a
criminal. He told OF woman who
was brought into court for stealing
coal from railroad car. The case
necessitated the appearance in court
OF one OF the highest officials OF the
railroad. There was no question about
the woman's guilt. The Justice asked
0aQ al hot he nh Oh
done to the woman. The Official sug-
gested that she be given the maxi
ninm punishment. Imprisonment for ~
days In the county Jail Upon investi-
eating the justice learned that the
woman was widow with four small
children to support
II agreed with the railroad official
that the woman was guilty and ought
to be punished" said the justice. but
asked him II the railroad company
would be willing to support the chill
dren, the innocent sufferers OF their
mothers wrong-dolng IL ! sent the
mother to Jail The official holly re-
fused to do so, nnd I released the
woman. Was not dealing Justice"
The justice told OF another instance
where young Polish boy was con-
cerned. The boy was an incorrigible.
He was brought into court time and
again The justice refused to make
criminal OF the boy. and persisted In
releasing him. Finally the boy COM
mitted felony md was taken into
the recorders court The Judge there
released him on parole. and turned
him over to Parole Agent Venn. The
boy Ii now over II years OF age, and
respectable citizen
"A fail sentence would have made
criminal out of that boy" remarked
the Justice.
have been condemned by the 20.
lice department for being lenient with
prisoners brought into court. but be-
lieve that the Office Of the police JUS
tice is to save the unfortunate and
not TO drag them down"
The justice caused a furry of ex-
element among the women in the
audience when he referred to woman
shoplifters. Several willow plumes
I'm the audience bobbed Indignantly
when the Justice made a few direct
remarks and two women left the
church during this portion of his ad-
dress.
Women love finery." said the Jus
tice. The ambition OF woman to
Guido her neighbor is the cause OF 80
per cent OF the thefts from stores by
women. They cannot resist the temp
tation to steal silks and willow
plumes. Society makes the shoplift-
ep. A woman will go the limit to be
deck herself In fine clothes"
The, @. II. Little Co., dealers in
PAYERS and builders supplies, an
nounces that It has purchased the