Evening star., 1935-03-01
.PRETTYMAN SEES
SPEED|ER TRIALS
Visits Baltimore and Lays
Plan to Make Trips
to Other Cities.

The speed with which justice IS
meted out by the precinct magistrate
and traffic courts of Baltimore
| aroused the interest of E. Barrett
| Prettyman, District corporation coun-
| sci. during a lengthy inspection of the
| police and judicial systems there yes
| terday.
| The trip, made in company with Will
liam Seals. secretary to the Crime In
vestigating Committee of the House,
was for the purpose of gathering data
particularly on the precinct magistrate
court plan as it might be applied to
Washington.
Prettyman. for the time being. made
no statement and announced plans to
make similar trips to observe judicial
machinery in Philadelphia and Rich
mond and possibly other nearby cities.
Justice Melted Promptly.
! In Baltimore he found police cap
F.; tains, the police commissioner and the
precinct magistrates have broad pow
erS that do not prevail here, he said,
noting the prompt administration of
! justice IN all but major offenses or
| felonies.
Each of the eight Baltimore police
/ precincts has a precinct magistrate,
. who holds court in the police precinct
buildings for two. hours in the morning
and two hours in the afternoon daily.
The magistrates have jurisdiction
over all police offenses except traffic
cases. There are no juries and no
prosecutors. In cases of felonieS the
magistrates bind the defendant over
for action by the grand jury and trial
in Criminal Court. The magistrate
may assess penalties up to a fine OF
Sl00 or year in jail or both. Appeals
may be taken from the Magistrate
! Court to Criminal Court.
Separate Traffic Court.
Traffic Eases are handled by sep
| arate traffic courtt. which has two
branches. one for cases arising in the
central division or the downtown Sec
ton of the city or those brought in by
motorcycle officers, and the other for
cases made by precinct officers.
In both traffic courts there is pro-
cedure which leaves the police Off
GERS freer for regular duty than is
the case in Washington, according to
| reports. The officer giving a ticket
| has the power to fiy the date for trial
at the convenience of himself and the
| defendant. Thus an officer may give
| 90 tickets in one day and have all
defendants appear at one designated
| day before traffic court. In Wash
ington tickets are returnable the next
day after ISSUANCE, requiring an officer
to appear day after day in court, as
a rule.
In Baltimore no one has the right
to change or drop a charge in traffic
| cases except the precinct police cap
tain and in each such case he must
report the facts to the police COM
missioner. Defendants may forfeit
collateral, but in such cases the COL
lateral is fixed at the maximum stat
utory fine fixed for the offense. In
traffic courts there are neither juries
nor prosecutors, except in manslaughter
or other serious cases. Defendants
| convicted In traffic courts may appeal
to the Criminal Court.
Brought to Trial Quickly.
In both magistrate and traffic courts
it is possible, and rather the rule, for
the defendant to be brought before the
court for trial very shortly after arrest.
When policeman makes an arrest
for a police violation he takes his
prisoner before the precinct captain
who determines what charge is to be
placed and whether there is sufficient
evidence 70 warrant charge. Prison.
ers may not be released except on
i order of magistrate, except where
collateral IS forfeited
Bon6Smen are not allowed in either
type CT the lower courts and all bail
is on a cash basis. The magistrates
personally handle the fine and COL
lateral receipts and make returns to
financial authorities.
The magistrates, appointed by the
Governor of Maryland, are paid $500
a year and are named for two-year
terms.