Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-02-16
Petty JndiciaI System.

gu can not Cypress peasant in India
without making life in London less safe
an extreme statement of an undoubted
truth in government Applying it to Mary
land we may say that you can not falsely
imprison farm laborer in Charles county
without making life in Baltimore more
dangerous You can not refuse Justice to
the humblest people in the lowest ranks
Of society without imperiline the freedom
of those most independent in life. We are
all engaged in a common undertaking in
this State and an injury TO one, to use the
old motto Of the Knights of Labor, is the
concern of all
II is precisely those members of our
community most needing its thouehtful
care and protection in the administration
of justice who least receive il. The courtn
which the poor and ignorant and defense
less know are largely those Of Justices of
the Peace. Other officials with whom they
come in contact are deputy sheriffs and
constables- We have in the counties Of
Maryland a 9reat number of justices Of
the Peace. sometimes four to an election
district. and are well equipped with deputy
sheriffs and constables furnished with tides
and with power to 90 forth. as to constables
and deputies. to make arrests. and, as to the
Justices Of the Peace, TO commit to jail
with little or no restraint. We make their
pay dependent upon the number Of cases
they handle and in an incidental way upon
the number Of convictions secured. The
sheriff or deputy who is fortunate enough.
as he deems it. to conduct prisoner from
a distant part Of the country to the county
jail or to the House of Correction and re-
ceive FIVE or ten dollars for 90 doing.
greatly congratulates himself. and to this
benefcent end be often stands ready to
strain every nerve. His prime desire many
times is not to preserve order. to enforce
| justice. but to secure emolument for him.
self.
How many instances of abuse have come
to the ears Of all Of usi How often have
we learned Of men. innocently enough
tramping the road. leeitimateIy returning
home. who have been arrested as warrants
and hurried to the House Of Correction to
serve for months. their arrest and con-
viction having no better reason for being
than the few dollars divided between the
Justice Of the Peace and the sheriff or
constablei When some crime has been
committed, how often it has been the case
that without proper grounds some ignorant
man Casually colored) has been rushed to
the county seat to await an examination
which everybody must well have known in
advance could only result in his discharge.
But the sheriff has been literally paid for
the transportation.
Perhaps in the early history Of the State
when trip to the capital of the county
was a matter Of days. there might have
been sufficient reason for the creation Of
neighborhood justices and the poverty oil
government might have excused at leasl
their compensation under the fee system
Today when the average county seat car
be reached from almost any part of the
county by automobile at least within ar
hour OF two. where formerly as much time
was required to travel from the boundar,
Of the election district to the Office of tn
Justice Of the Peace and when all consid
erations Of economy demand paid officials
there ceases to be any reason for the mul
titude Of petty judicial officers we nov
have.
Baltimore City has recognized this con
dition and established minor courts, tn
existence of which has practically take
the enforcement of the law out of tn
hands Of the Justices of the Peace.
rtsts with our counties to have like step
taken for them. Until they do this, tn
administration of justice in a minor wa
will continue to be an extravaganza an
an offense to the very name OF justice.
The first cost to the county Of the Unfit
ton Of wrongful and unnecessary punish
ment upon the individual is the smallel
cost the public pays The man who with
, out cause is sent to jail or the House
Correction finds his self-respect lowere
He no longer occupies the same positio
among his fellows as before. He is tn
less useful citizen Of the community. 1
has become an object of contempt or
least suspicion and as an effective work
is reduced in value. He has experience
, an intimate association with men of Il
lowest possible grade. He has learnt
: much of the machinery of crime, whi(
through close association has TO a deer,
lost Its repellent features. He has bet
put on the way to become an habitu
criminal and likely to be arrested aga
and again, every time with expense al
loss to the State. All this is the fair r
suit Of injustice-the sort Of injustice OF
petty judicial system multiplies out of a
l. reason. Often it is the case that cour
exercising police powers, presided over |
: indifferent men, serve to build up schoo
of crime much more efficient than al
Fagin ever dreamed of establishing. v
need, therefore, for the treatment of min
offenses men Of greater skill than we ha'
been in the habit of appointing or c.
z usually command as Justices Of the Peat
: These are obtainable in every county
Z a limited number for comparatively sm
: sum Of money, but small as this is, it mu
never be made greater because of null
: plication Of imaginary offenses or of CO
: victions,
So with the arrestine officer. the TEN
tation must be removed from him.
must not be encouraged to make improp
arrests by any feeling that he will prosp
in the smallest degree thereby. He mt
L be placed in such an attitude toward 4
c public that he can understand he is
agency Of justice and is not to find /
profit in the detention, even for an hol
Of innocent men.
What ! have said. while having partic
lar reference to the administration
| criminal cases apnlies as we'll m the 81,