The Miami times., 1952-08-02
Good Morning Judge
News and Views from Miami's Municipal Negro Court
JUDGE L. E. THOMAS. PRESIDING
By ELLIOTT PIEZE, Times Staff Writer

but with his license in the proper
place. On the charge of the i'm
proper license plate, he told the
court that the license plate was
on the car when he bought il
four weeks ago from used car
lot. A police check of the records
disclosed that the license plate
was issued to another and much
different car from the one which
Wallace was driving. The judge
dismissed the charge on driving
without a drivers license, and
fined Wallace $35 or IA days on the
o:her three charges combined.
The case of James Floyd who
was charged with assault and
battery on Clarence Long was also
high among top hearings of the
day. This was the case of "an old
story" in which one man hit an
other because the second man was
too friendly with the first mans
wife.
Floyd told the court that he had
warned Long several times to stay
away from his home and from
around his wife. Long denied
hanging around the Floyd home
and explained to the court that
Floyd hit him apparently with
out any provocation Sunday even
ing at NV 14th st. near 3rd ave.
He further explained to the court
that he only went to the Floyd
home, at 435 NV 18th st. be-
cause Mrs. Floyd wanted him to
do some decoration for her, and
that he went there at her invita-
ton. But Judge Thomas said Long
had done too much decorating at
the Floyds, and warned him to
stay away, as ordered by Floyd,
in order to prevent further
trouble. The case was dismissed
after the judges warning to both
men.
Another husband and wife case
which captured the attention OF
the entire courtroom was that OF
Wilfred McPhee, who was charg-
ed with assault and battery on
his wife, Annie. The wife, a
young lady charged that her hus-
band had beaten her severely
early Sunday morning, when he
returned to- their home, after be-
ing out all of the previous night.
She added the fact that she is an
expectant mother and that her
husband seems unconcerned about
the matter.
Anyone hearing the testimony
of the wife would have conclud-
ed that things were looking bad
for the husband; but the husbands
testimony soon changed the COM
plete outlook of the case. In a
very pathetic, but convincing
manner, the husband told the
court the whole story - which
the court believed. The husband
explained that the trouble be-
tween him and his wife is pro-
voked largely by the wife's moth
er, who apr arently does not care
for her son-in-lay. He told the
court that many times he comes
home from work only to find that
his wife is elsewhere and no food
is prepared for him-even though
he is the sole support of the
family. He denied hitting his
wife as she charged, and climax
ed the story by telling the court
that his mother-in-law has made
unwarranted derogatory remarks
about him to his wife. He painted
very unfortunate picture of his
life with his wife, most of which
was brought about by the OBJ
viously unfair interference of his
mother -in-law into their private
affairs.
Judge Thomas agreed with the
husband, and attempted to ad-
wise the wife of the proper thing
to do in the future in order to
prevent more trouble, but his adj
vice apparently fell on deaf ears.
The judge dismissed the case, and
the husband walked out free
man.
Among other cases heard and
disposed of were the following:
Angel Mobley, Charles Miles,
Edward Lee Rogers, Eddie Man
nings, Louis Losket, Kenneth
Joseph, Otis Curry, Willard Cash,
Leroy Gator, Harold Richburg,