Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-01-13
JUDGES ARE DENOUNCED
BY HYLAN

L~eniency on the part of judges and
prosecutors in New York City has re-
suited in granting freedom to many
habitual criminals, Mayor Hylan de-
clared in a recent statement in which
he denounced the responsible officials.
He further asserted that the practice
was d~iscouraging the police in their
efforts to cope with the crime situa-
ton.
THE public wants this thing stop
ped" said the Mayor. THE District
Attorneys and the Judges presiding
in the criminal courts a stop it,"
Mayor Hylan made an emphatic
demand for better cooperative action
by the law enforcement departments
of the city. He said:
abuse of the bail privilege by ha-
bitual criminals and leniency by
judges and prosecuting officers in
New York City must end forthwith.
The situation we are now facing de-
mands this. We owe it to the police,
our first line of defense against law
lessness, to get better cooperation.
Holdups and burglaries must cease
and the outlaw element of our enor-
nous population must be taught that
punishment awaits all who attack our
citizens or steal their property.
Crime Wave Nation Wide
New York City is no worse than
any other community, for disregard of
the rights of the law abiding is ram
pant in other parts of the country,
particularly in larger cities, where it
seems s o easy for criminals to escape
after committing crimes.
81 firmly believe hat the need for
more severity and celebrity in handling
cases of burglars by judges in the
courts in New York City and that dis
trict attorneys in the five counties
making up this city will demand
higher bail in the future and be more
prompt in moving for trials.
"The immediate prosecution of de-
PENDANTS would do more than anything
else to end the existing state of af-
fairs. Scrutiny of records in the Of
fees of our prosecutors discloses
names of known criminals who are re-
leased on bail pending trial. l do not
agree with some of u law-enforcing
officials who allow these cases to drag
along because the u~nfortunateS who
fail to obtain bail must first be tried.
True, we should not allow prisoners
to remain in city prisons for long
periods before they are brought to
trial. But, on the other hand, we
should not allow criminals to roar at
large, committing other crimes while
on bail and working meanwhile to dis
credit the states case against them.
Quick Trials Necessary
Burglars and hold-up men should
be brought to trial Immediately after
the police make the arrests and before
witnesses are spirited away, leave the
jurisdiction of the state or change
their minds.
"Many violators of the law should
be tried and on their way to Sing
Sing within f~orty-eight hours after
their apprehension. That is what we
need-more speed. Some call it Jer-
sey justice. We have occasionally
given swift punishment in the past
after fair trials. We should continue
to do this.
81 recall the case of a burglar who
was caught about fifteen years ago as
he tried to force an entrance to a
room of a guest in an uptown hotel.
He was arrested by the police and the
same morning was held for the Grand
Jury when arraigned in the Magis-
trate's Court. Two of the witnesses
were guests having steamship tickets
and intending to leave for Europe that
afternoon.