Evening star., 1941-04-30
Gives Impressions
Of Traffic Court
Writer Tells of Drama
Heard When Motorists
Are Brought to Justice
To the Editor OF The Star:

-
To the Editor of The Star:
I have been listening to the Traffic
Court while getting over touch of flu.
I had not known that it was so interest
ing. Not only does it offer entertain
ment but it is instructive as well. Too,
there is certain fascination in COM
| pairing decision you would render, with
| that rendered by the court. I recon-
mend it highly to any one recuperating
from an Illness He will find many
surprises there. Chief among them is
the number of motorists, who still come
to court with excuses that were old
and worn out in 1892. Not so surprising
is it, that the judges get hard and CAL
loused cit they do) after sitting on the
bench all day, hearing these ancient
Wheezes, which the violators think origi-
nal, repeated over and over. The wonder
OF it all is that they don't become harder.
Take the following for example:
gay young Romeo came up before the
court charged with doing 55 per. What
have you to say for yourself?" asked
the court. (The defendant in this case,
L happened to know, a Dragging chap
with one of those new sloppy, super
fluid driveS.)
Your honor" he said, confident as
Hercules, Il did not realize 1 was going
that fast. The car rides so easy, was
not aware of my speed" He thought
That would earn him sympathy. In
stead the judge took occasion to de-
liver stlnglng lecture and rebuke.
You're like man with loaded gun"
he said sharply. He pulls the trigger
Kills man, then says: I'm sorry, 1
didn't know it was loaded In your
hands. you have just as deadly and po-
tent a weapon as loaded gun. 1t too
might go off and kill a man if you
do not handle it with care. 1t is up to
you to drive carefully and note how
fast you go. Twenty-Five dollars fine
or ten days! Next case"
There you have one of the most fire.
quently advanced excuses. AS he speeds
along, the driving motorist says to
himself, IF I am stopped or brought in,
l will just say l did not realize how
fast I was going, and then all Will be
forgiven If that is the thought YOU
have in mind, just drop it right now, for
with an excuse like that in court. YOU
Will have two strikes on you before you
even start.
Whatever reason given in court must
be straightforward and true. The Judge
knows all the answers and there is
hardly an excuse that he has not heard
before AS one noted barrister put it:
Il haven't heard new excuse in twenty
years. When new one does come up.
1t stands out like a lily in a poppy field,
so rare is it," The violator might do well
to remember that
But all law violatorS are not careless
or deliberately planning to do wrong.
Sometimes they err with the best in
tentions. Often they feel there are ex-
tenuatlng circumstances, believe they
are justified in their actions. But even
this won't get you Tar in court. I've
| learned. Particularly, if by breaking the
law you create a situation infinitely
worse than the condition you are seeking
to avoid.
case in point is that of a well-known
physician brought before the court the
other day. He was charged with going
through red light. Il was hurrying to
childbirth case pleaded the doctor
respectfully. Il knew the light was red,
but the street was clear and I felt l
could save valuable time by crossing"
That is all very we'll" replied the
judge. The street was clear in that
particular instance. But suppose it
wasn't? And suppose we permitted all
physicians on hurry calls 10 60 through
red lights? What kind of situation would
we have then? With the high rate of
deaths and accidents we have been hav-
ing, you certainly don't want to add to
that total. And that is exactly what you
would be doing if you persisted in going
through red lights. I am sorry, but
will have to fine you five dollars in this
case. The law will have to be obeyed."
1t must not be supposed from that,
however, that there is no leniency in
those men on the bench. Quite the con-
trary is true. I frequently have heard
cases come up which plainly disclosed
that mistake had been made or that
the arresting officer had been too jealous
in the performance of his duty. In such
cases the judge lends q receptive and
responsive ear, and I even have heard
him rebuke the arresting officer. There
fore, one need not fear not getting a
square deal. The judges are most fair
and impartial and few days of listening
to cases will prove that to any ones
satisfaction.
But you should not try to fool the
court. Nor should you try to talk out
or out-talk the man on the bench. This
doesn't happen-or at least it does not
happen very often, though I recall one
outstanding case recently where it did.
In this case the defendant was a
woman. She was brought in for minor
infraction, and when asked by the Judge
what she had to say, she Immediately
proceeded to say it with the speed of
machine-gun fire.
THE poor harassed motorists in this
country don't have any more rights than
the slaves working under Hitler" she
began. They are hampered and hound
ed at every turn" Then she went into a
discussion of the unfair political system
On and on she went Numerous times
the Judge tried to interpose word. But