Evening star., 1953-03-25
Traffic Judges
Consider Endinq
Collateral Setup
Violations Bureau
Would End Forfeiture
Without Pleas
By ChorIes G. Brooks

tS-E
By ChorIes 6. Brooks ~.
Municipal Court judges are
studying a plan to abolish the
present police collateral system
for traffic violations and set up
a new violations bureau to speed
the imposition of penalties for
both drivers and pedestrians.
The plan was presented at q
special meeting yesterday Of
judges. representatives of the
American Bar Association. the
Commissioners Traffic Advisory
Board. the American Automobile
Association and the corporation
counsel.
If adopted by the judges and
approved by Congress, the plan
would make it impossible for q
traffic violator to forfeit col
lateral without pleading guilty
or not guilty. The result. ac-
cording to court officials, would
be a general stiffening Of penal
ties-in line with the recent
breakdown on drivers and Pc
deStrianS.
Would Curb Fixing.
It also would make it more
difficult to fix tickets. because
copies of each ticket would be-
kept by four different agencies.
The idea. now used in 10 out
Of 18 major cities throughout
the country. may not be indorsed
by the judges, however.
Judge George D. Nelson
pointed out that not only do
many drivers who get tickets
have legitimate excuses. but also
the violations bureau might not
give a defendant who pleads
guilty the proper protection of
a judge in court.
The plan has been discussed
by the Municipal Court judges in
the past, but no action was TAX
en- because of these two points.
Uniform Traffic Tickets.
The proposed violations bu-
reau would issue uniform traffic
tickets, which would eliminate
the delay now involved when a
policeman tags a car. At pres
ent the policeman must not
only write out the ticket. but If
collateral is not posted. he must
go to court and swear out a war.
rant for the arrest of the driver,
as well as an information de.
scribing the violation.
Under the proposed system.
the responsibility would be inn
posed on the violator. who would
decide whether he was guilty.
If he felt he was innocent, he
could demand a Traffic Court
trial.
But If ne wanted to plead
guilty, he would take his ticket
to the violations bureau. There
a clerk would look on a chart
showing penalties prescribed by
the judges and would collect Q
fine.
All past violations would be
recorded by the bureau and the
chart would indicate the gradu.
ated fine, taking into account
these previous offenses.
For Minor Cases.
Only minor offenses such as.
parking tickets, passing stop
signs and minor speeding Of
fenses could be handled by the
bureau.
Judge Nelson, a long time
campaigner against traffic viola
tors, would not say whether he
favorS the proposal. However, he
indicated that at least some mod
ification might be worked out,
if not the entire plan.
Chief Judge George Barse
pointed out that If the violations
bureauA. was accepted, funds
would have to be obtained from
Congress to staff it.
He said he will appoint a COM
mittee of judges to study all
angles of the plan in the near
future.
Participants in Meeting.
Present at yesterdays meeting
of judges were Washington I.
Cleveland of the American Auto
mobile Association; Nathan Luz
bar, chairman of the Commis-
sioners' Traffic Advisory Board
Courts Committee; retired Po-
lice Inspector Arthur Miller, now
director of safety for Mont
gomery County, and Assistant
Corporation Counsel Clark F.
King.
Mr.. King last fall proposed the
uniform ticket system to Judge
Barse, but no action was taken.
Mr.. King has pointed out that
such a system would speed the
issuance of warrants and would
relieve the backlog Of applica-
tions for warrants at the court.
The entire plan has been
backed by the American Bar As
ISOLATION and the National Traf-
flc Safety Counsel.