The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-02-20
Solution in Speedy Trials.

Society, IN Its effort to be hard Dolled IN
its attitude toward the preying element has
found that the solution of the crime prob
lem lies largely in speedy trials. Figures tell
the truth, and that is much more to the point
than the untried theory of the reformer, who
breaches to arouse sympathy for the poor
down-trodden criminal 1t has been claimed
varously and frequently that criminals can
not help doing wrong, that they cannot dis
tinguish between it and right, that they are
victims of circumstances having to do with
their natural makeup for which they are in
no way responsible. That may be true in
isolated cases, but in the great majority OF
crimes committed the perpetrators know OF
the wrong they are committing and could
refrain if they would. The absence of the
fear of punishment, which only comes from
two things, belief in the ability to escape
detection and dependence in a laXity OF law
enforcement if caught, is what casts the die
in favor of going on with the crime.
New York is a big city Gunner live
there in thousands. 1t is a city swarming
with crooks of all descriptions. Petty lar
ceny thieves, burglars, robbers jewel and
bank bandits, homicides, assassns, everything
have operated in the past on large scale,
but New York awoke to the fact that some
thing had to be done to check the crime
wave else the greatest American city would
lose its self-respect. 1t was decided to create
SPECIAL courts to handle expedtiously the
felony cases presented by an active grand
Jury. This was done and the underworld
took the hint cutting down its operations.
District Attorney Banton, who had charge
Of the campaign of prosecution, furnished
figures the other day showing what had been
accomplished At this time New York GRIM
NAL courts are abreast of the cases pending
They have caught up with the calendar and
are in a position to dispose of as many cases
as may be presented for trial This was &C
complished last year. Mr. Banton says that
in the preceding year there were 2,O0I in
dictments involving 2487 individuals, and
that the plan of speedy trials and swift pun
lishment cut the number of indictments down
in 1922 to little more than 900 That looks
as though this way of treating criminals
brings results. Mr. Banton says:
Speedy trials OF men accused of Grim
| inal offenses was the key to the solution
of the problem The only thing that ter
rifles the laWbreaker is the certainty oI
immediate punishment. The expedition
of trials makes the conviction of crl1nl-
nails certain. All other remedies are in
cidental to this
Fear of the consequences can be consid-
cred nine times out of ten as a factor in pre-
venting of acts of violence. Only that fear
must be deep grounded. 1t cannot be deeply
grounded when the criminal element has good
reason to believe there is a chance to escape
punishment through laxity of law enforcement.
Delays in trials, easy bail, postponements,
retrials, changes Of venue and paroles, if con-
victed-these fill the criminal with hope. To
rush the trial of criminal case is to knock
from the criminal all the props on which he
leans, and to put him at the mercy of out
ragged society. No criminal likes that. Swift
and sure punishment is the best medicine So
ciety can prescribe for the prevention OF such
ills. as Mr. Banton has demonstrated in New
York.