Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-07-01
C|TY'S COURTS
NEED ATTENTION,
SAYSLAWYER
Former Judge Sweeney, Fol-
lowing UP Stars Expose,
Writes to Aldermen.
WOULD REoRCANlZE THEM
AND EXTEND JURISDICTION
Facts Shown by Newspaper In
vestigation Are a Bit Un-
pleasant.

non T. Sweeney, prompted by the dis
closures of the Evening Star oncern-
ing the lack of work for the three
police court judges, urged the finance
committee of the Common Council in
a communication last night, to make
work for the three by reorganizing
the courts and extending their 1uris-
diction. The communication, which
was filed for consideration later,
was:
81 am mindful of the proverb,
when in doubt mind your own busi-
ness, but the just and proper solu-
ton of your police court problem
presents such fine opportunity TO
do a real constructive social service
for the permanent good to the poor
and unfortunate of Newark, who
sometimes get in trouble, that | cam
not refrain from venturing sug-
gestion i'm relation to the third ponce
court problem thrust upou you.
Every fair minded person must
admit that the present facts as shown
by the public spirited investigation
of the Evening Star are bit un-
pleasant, but if the examination or
research was continued by your COM
mittee as to the administration of the
municipal courts in other cities, great
good would come of the investigation,
because any competent committee
would report unanimously to request
the Legislature to thoroughly revise
the laws relating to our municipal
courts, increasing their jurisdiction
and multiplying their efficiency by
about 400 per cent.
Picayune Cases to Grand Jury.
Everybody knows that the time of
our grand juries and of the uppa
courts is very largely taken up by
little petty picayune neighborhood
quarrels and disturbances that should
be settled forever the same day or the
day after in the local police or re-
corder,s court, and II is not too much
/ to say that II we could have Judges
as conscientious and as efficient in
administering the criminal law as
Judge Osborne in the county court,
the present great cost could be re-
duced two-thirds.
"If your committee followed tue
excellent precedents of former
finance committee in authorizing spe-
c;al investigation of two other de-
partments of local government that
have resulted In their reorganization
YOU would learn that in 1906 Chicago
set the example for the country II
the reorganization of her municipal
courts in providing real efficient
twentieth century municipal courts
and that plan has worked so well
that Cleveland, Buffalo, st. Louis
and Philadelphia have already re-
modelled their municipal courts on
the same plan. New York city is at
this very time putting the law into
effect, authorizing them to do the
same.
'In word the police judges are
clothed with all the authority of
special session judges. the law re-
serving to the prosecutor of the
county the right to intervene and
direct that certain cases be not tried
in the police court. but sent UP in the
usual way.
No Need for Three Courts Now.
THAT we do not need three police
courts, as now constituted, is per-
fectly obvious to everybody, as the
Evening Star has pointed out. but
under the good humane and rational
system in actual operation in so
many other cities we would need three
judges and they would have ample
opportunity to earn their salaries In
acts of Justice and mercy a thousand
times over every year.
''In these cities that | have men
toned there is always one Judge sit
ting to hear cases and act uDon hail
until o'clock, in a number of them
evening sessions are held, and the
law requires one Judge to hold court
until noon on legal holidays and Sum
days.
"In Boston unfortunate fellows ar
rested for drunkenness who have not
been arrested within year previous
ly are discharged at o'clock in the
morning, without arraignment, that
they may go to work and not punish
their families by the loss of a days
pay.
ut would be impossible to estimate
the saving of time and money and
suffering and the good that our. three
worthy judges could do If they on.y
had twentieth century, modern,
rational, workable chance.
"I certainly hope that this sugges-
tion is sufficient justification for
trespassing upon your time;' and tfe
knowledge that you have in your
honorable council number of splen-
did public-spirited lawyers who arc
admirably fitted for such service OF
investigation as suggested, and who
would deem 1t a privilege to serve
their city In helpful way, has en-
couraged me to write you of what has
come under my observation in other