New-York tribune., 1922-03-29
Miller Signs
Bill Aimed at
nonfIsnlcn Evil
Governor Says Proper En-
forcenlent Rests With
the Superintendent Of
Insurance and Jurists
Operative on September |
Two additional Anfi-Crime
Measures Increasing the
Courts Made Laws
rro.. G s.er corresnorsen,

ALBANY, March oS.-Thrce anti
crime bilfs werc made laws to-day by
Governor Miller. Two Of the measures,
introduced by Assemblyman George n.
Jesse. amend the General Sessions
court act by empowering the judges to
create a. many additional parts as they
deem necessary, to increase the num-
ber Of interpreters, stenographers and
other attendants and to draw as many
additional grand iuries as any judge
of the General Sessions bench believes
essential TO the public interest. A
third Jease bill, Increasing the NUN
her of General Sessions Judges by t~o,
vas signed Yesterday.
The third bill was sponsored by Sen
1tor Salvatore A. Cotillo, and y aimed
at the partners Of criminals among
IRE professional bondsrncn In mem
orandum filed with the Cotillo law
Governor Miller wrote:
This bill, If rightly enforced should
20 a long way to stop the bail bond
evil. The proper enforcement OF the
nc. now rests with the Superintendent
Of Insurance and the courts
II was learned here tonight that
within the next month or so-the law
does not become operative until Sep
tomber Francis r. Stoddard, Super
.ntendent of Insurance, and representa-
lives Of the various criminal courts in
NeW York, acting on the Governor :
suggestion, will start campaign to
drive out Of business the disroputable
professional rondsmcu and to agree
upon the best method of enforcing
other provisions Of the get.
Provides Jail Sentences
Not only docs the Cotillo act hit the
professional bondsman, but 1t pro-
v.dos jail sentences for tho real heads
Of tho various rings of professional
bondsmcu-tnc shyster lawyers, who
infcst thc criminal courts and share
IN the bondsman's loot. This Is pro
yided for i'm Section . OF the act,
which reads, in part.
"Ary member of the bar having any
financial interest by which he is 10
profit from the giving Of bail shall be
guilty of 3 mlsdemcsnor.'
conviction of A misdcmcanor is
punishable by Imprisonment not to
cxcoed orc year or not more than
5 Zoo fine or both.
The act defines professional bonds
man as amy person. firm or corpora
non IN any court having criminal juris-
GicUon or in anV criminal action or
proceeding who shall for another dc.
posit money or proporty as bail or exc
cute 3 surety or bail bond who within
ue~'oi Of one month prior thereto
shall have made such deposit OF givcn
.uch bail in more than two cases not
arising out Of The same transaction and
shall have charged fec or other com
pcnsatIoU.'
One Of the chief mainstays Of the
professional bondsman' game has been
The inability OF the courts and the
prosecuting officials to inquire into the
security put up by the criminal 10 io-
sure the professional bondsman against
loss I'm many instances :hc proees-
slona, hondsman is secured against loss
hy tho proceeds of the robbery, bur
! gary OF hold-up
Bondsmcu 10 BE Examined
This H. removed by the Cotllo law.
which clothes magistrates and other
public officers concerned I'm tNc mat
ter with power to examine under oath
any proposed bondsman OF depo tor of
security for bail or any officer or any
hondtne or surety company to deter
inine what is beng charged for the
bond and how Vt is secured
IhH pct provides that The magistrate
or othcr public officer directly inter
csted msN refuse to accept The bond
~ satisfied that any portion Of such
security has been teloniously obtained
by The dofendsnt or. if he believes
th7t any section Of the law has been
violated IN any particular, or if the
bo1dSman is professional bondsman
as defined by the statute.
NO person shall engage in tho husj-