New-York tribune., 1922-05-09
Bar Advocates
Swift Justice
10 Curb Crime

otto A Rosalsky. Chief Magistrate
William McAdoo. Justice Franklin
Hoyt' OF the Children's Court; Ed
mund J. Butler, president of the State
Probation Commissions J. Noble Hayes.
chairman of the committee Of laws
delays Of the New York County
lawyers Association, and many Others
The committee is to make its anal
report on August 9, when the American
har Assoc ciatlon meets at San Fran
CISCO. It IS understood that the report
is being framed by former Governor
Charles S. Whitman. member Of tn
investigating committee.
tentative draft Of the summary
refers TO the prevalence of an nbnor-
NAL volume of crime in our large
cities" and says that at is the resnit
pathy By misinformed and l-advisad
meddlers.' This attitude Of the com
munity,' it goes on to say, "has disin-
tegrated the administration Of Justice i"
Speedy Trials Reduce Crime
It finds that the problem today is
not with the quarrelsomc person or
with the accidental or occasional Grim
lnal, but with the professional crini-
nal, the man who deliberately adopts
crime as a business. This man under
stands only one influence. and that in
fuence is the use of force The mex
orable application of the lawful force
OF government is the only way to com
at the unlawful force of the Grim
inal."
1t is found that crime increases or
decreases in the proportion that pun
ishment is swift and certain. ut Is
imperative that cases arising under
the criminal laws be speedily disposed
Of" is the injunction here. 'It vas
speed@ action Of the vigilance com
mittee," it is pointed out "in the from
tier days Of California IL administer
ing swift and certain punishment more
tnsn severity Of the punishment that
brought back order in the state The
recent speeding up Of trials In Chicago
vas found to have decreased the mUr-
der rate there 81 per cent.
The thing for American cities 20
do" Gays the committee. "is to clear
their criminal dockets and keep them
clear. The police know who the habit
ual criminals are, and II this country
can ever get the police convinced that
the prosecuting author and the
courts will back them with efficient
prosecution and speedy trial there is
not police captain in the country who
cannot promptly bring about substan-
tial reduction Of crime in his jurisdlc-
OIL.
More Respect for Police
The community should hold the po-
liceman up to higher standard, is
another suggestion. Ridicule of the
policeman in the theaters and censor
ious remarks elsewhere should be dis
couraged,
The writ of habeas corpus has be
come an avenue Of easy escape 1or
criminals, is another observation. Pro
pairing the sacredness of the writ
which will prevent its abuse.
The right to a speedy trial guar
antecd by the Constitution OF the
United States is the last thing the
modern criminal desires" say the ind
ings. "What he wants are contlnuances
which drag the case along until the
prosecutor and the public are tired
out and the prosecution eventually
dropped. Most criminal cases should
be disposed OF within thirty Gays.
Prosecutors quite uniformly agree that
q fter the lapse of thirty days the prop
ability Of administering compleIe 'ue-
tce begins to decrease =
not an Unreasonable time to give
defendant to prepare for trial. The
highwayman does not give. his vIetim :,
siTty seconds to make Up his mind
Insufficiency of Bail Evil
An insurlcfency OF bail also vas re-
marked in certain centers while the
administration Of the probatlcA la" IN
some cities was called "an insult 70