Evening star., 1932-11-07
TAMMANY CALLED
MENACE TO COURTS
Judge Kernochan Charges
Attempts to Influence
His Decisions.
Pv tho Associated Precs.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, November IA charge
by Judge Frederick Kernochan, Dem
ocrat, that Tammany Hall eXerts politi-
cal pressure en- the courts lay before
voters today.
Kernochan, who is chief justice of
Special Sessions Court, declared in a
speech last night in behalf of two in
dependent candidates for the Supreme
Court that the influence Of politics on
the administration of justice is demor-
alizing"
To back his contention he told three
stories. One was about a $50 contrlbu-
ton he sent on November l to the Tam
many campaign chest. The check was
mailed back to him, he said, and Philip
Donohue, treasurer Of Tamnany Hall,
told him:
In my opinion it is too cheap; ether
judges give $500 or $1,000"
l he judge told of another incident of
previous date. which he said might
account for a desire to humiliate me
and put me in the place that the
organization thought I should occupy"
He said that laso September Raymond
j. O'Sullivan, secretary Of Tammany
Hall, telephoncd him and ted him that
John F. Curry, head of Tammany, de-
sired that position in the courts pay
ing 1920 year be filled for the re-
mainder of the year. The Judge said
he refused to fill it on the grounds that
he considered IL his duty Ito do all that
can to eCOnOmiZe"
Il Will give one other instance which
illustrates the control that the political
leaders think they have over judges, y
Justice Kernochan continued. I was
one OF three judges who sentenced a
man to a short term of imprisonment
fo-' admitting children Illegally to a
motion picture theater. He had been
previously fined for the same offenSe a
number OF times.
After court adjourned, the leader of
the district in which l then lived tele-
pnoned me and said he wished the
sentence of imprisonment revoked and
a fine imposed I answered that this
request would not be granted. He said.
DO you say SOP and l answered, l
certainly do. He then said, You may
ask ME at some time to do something
for you and will say no. This terml-
mated the conversation.
The return Of my check" the judge
declared at another point in his speech,
illustrated, in my opinion, that Tam
many Hall thinks it can insult judge
and that he will take it lying down.
He said the fear that mis- services will
pe OlSptllSeu Will DGGduSG sO4lAt 4Al41ue44-
tial politician CT politicians have been
offended hangs like q sword OF Damo-
cles over the head of the judge who
sincerely tries to do his duty
Judge kernochan said that he sent
the returned $50 check to the campaign
fund Of George W. Alger and Bernard
s. Deutsch candidates OF the independ-
ent judges, party for the Supreme
CCurs. Aiger and Deu-sch entered the
race for the posts after State Senator
Samuel H. Hofstadter and Aron Steuer
received bipartisan Endorsement for the
Juogeships by the Democratic and Re-
publican organizations III the district.
fIofstadtcr. Republican, was chair
man of the Legislative Committee
which conducted the investigation that
eliminated in Mayor James j. Walker 5
resignation. Steuer is Democrat and
son of Max D. Steuer, prominent law
yer. Critics Of the bipartisan nomina-
tions charged they resulted from a
'Geal," charge which brought denials.