The Washington times., 1924-11-18
With The
.Alibi Artists
"A Cross Section of the
Daily Grind In Judge
SchuIdt's Court.
Read EN- and Weep.
By DONALD MsnOJJGAL.
EeonOInY..

ssANSVAstAaB " OUT A4lJhAkcAe NAAN =
little pinlply faced devil. according
to the neighbors. we spent good
many useless days looking for 2
stick that only had one end % 4.
We never found such q stick,
and we've quit looking for II.
Today we want 10 show what
the tnotorist Is UP against when
he comes into traffic court ma.
what the traffic court - up
against when he comes In.
Except on points specifically
covered by law. there Is no uni
Iortfiity in traffic court decisions.
II there were, It would be 9
miracle, and there's miracles
enough pulled of in traffic court
without that one.
For some reason, or lack OF
reason, Congress treats the traffic
court az q thing OF no Importance
lit Is q branch OF the lower
branch Of police court. Yet, that
tribunal deals with a factor Of our
daily lives that has meant the
death OF ia human being every
four days for two years. And in
the eyes Of Congress 1t ranks be-
low a court that has jurisdiction
over disorderly conduct, unlicensed
dogs, and vagrancy cases. 1f Con-
gress has such little respect Tor
traffic law, what can be expected
OF the ordinary rnotorist?
Al court that deals with sucil a
grave matter you'd think would
have every possible aid 70 Q
proper determination Of its cases.
And the traffic court must hob
BILE along on the left-Uv0rs from
neighborhood scraps and cheap
DRINKS.
{ Badly Handicapped.
Many Of the cases tried in this
court are long and involved. yet
no provision is made Tor record
ing the testimony, or the re.
remarks Of the court on collateral
issues, q clear statement Of which
would be OF enormous aid In
clearing up our traffic mess.
How can the motorist obey the
law when he doesn't know what
the law is? There are no prece-
dents to guide the court. ana
hence there can be no uniformity
in decisions, beyond the points
specifically covered by the regula-
lions.
For the last eighteen months
traffic court has been presided
over alternately by three judges,
for periods varying from two
, weeks to two months-three OF
the most conscientious, capable,
public spirited gentlemen II has
ever been this writer's happy lot
to meet. And, / might add, the
most handicapped. For there IL
no co-ordinatlng agency, such as
an authorized, indexed digest OF
opinions and decisiohs, to bring
their work to q focus.
1t is in the nature of things
that different men should hold
different views on questions not
subject to prescribed rules. On
points outside the rules, they sell
dom agree. The result 10 con.
fusion.
what is the motorlst to dor
What is the pedestrian to do?
What Is the court to do? II
the courts remarks on such ques-
lions were recorded and indexed
and published, the confusion
would soon disappear. 1t is OF
less importance what view is
held, than that some definite view
is held, for then everyone win
know what's expected Of him.
Confusion, COMPOUNDED.
And this confusion In the courts
this unavoidable confusion,
since Congress has made no pro-
vision for a court reporter to
record the transactions Of the
court-this confusion In the
courts is reflected in the con-
fusion in the streets. A traffic
jam is, in many cases, merely
a legal jam made flesh-or tin
so to speak.
The judges in these highly i'm
portant cases are handicapped in
still another way. Few Of the
cases are conducted by counsel,
either for defense or prosecu.
ton, and the Judge must act as
prosecuting attorney as well as
counsel for the defense. Many
cases involve eight or ten wit
nesses, and the Judge must re-
member the testimony Of each, as
ne has no written record to refer
to. 1t may be said that the same
Is true of disorderly conduct
cases, for example. But disor.
derly conduct cases are not tax
ing a human life every four DAYS.
When Congress realizes the SUI
preme importance OF the traffic
court and acts accordingly, traf.
nc confusion will begin to clear
up-0ut not until then. But
meanwhile a death occurs every
Tour days in Washington's per.
Manent traffic 10 n